- March 13, 2025
Jewish Federation volunteers Paul Tibbetts (left) and Randy McDonald (second from left) prepare to give out turkey dinners and groceries to people for Thanksgiving. Photo by Michele Meyers
Frozen turkeys and sweet potatos are part of the dinner Jewish Federation volunteers hand out to those in need. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jewish Federation volunteer Alan Kisselhof delivers turkey dinners and assorted groceries to cars that line up by the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jewish Federation volunteer Brenda McMillan delivers a turkey and assorted groceries to a pickup truck that was in line in front of the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Bob Tabasky volunteers to deliver groceries to one of the vehicles lined up at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
A volunteer lifts a turkey into the back of a van during the Jewish Federation's annual turkey dinner give away at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Lou Cordara delivers groceries to one of the vehicles lined up at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank in Ormond Beach. Photo by Michele Meyers
Cory Croom (right) volunteers to check people in at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank before they pick up their turkeys and other groceries. Photo by Michele Meyers
Cory Croom (right) volunteers to check people in at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank before they pick up their turkeys and other groceries. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jewish Federation volunteers take groceries to people's vehicles during the Thanksgiving turkey giveaway at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Porsche McMillan (left), her mom Brenda McMillan (second from left), Randy McDonald (third from left) and Scott Warren (right) load grocery carts with food for Thanksgiving at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Grocery bags line the back room at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank in prepartaion for the Jewish Federation's annual turkey dinner giveaway. Photo by Michele Meyers
Marvin Miller looks over the grocery bags in the back room at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank that were prepared for the Jewish Federation's annual turkey dinner giveaway. Photo by Michele Meyers
Porsche McMillan breaks down a box during her stint giving out cartons of eggs at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Porsche McMillan (left) loads grocery carts with cartons of eggs at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Brenda McMillan (left) and her daughter Porsche McMillan (right). Photo by Michele Meyers
Brenda McMillan (left) and her daughter Porsche McMillan (right) share a laugh while they volunteer at the Jewish Federation's annual turkey giveaway. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jewish Federation Of Volusia and Flagler Counties president Marvin Miller (left) with volunteers Randy McDonald (center) and Paul Tibbetts (right) are instrumental in making the Jerry Doliner Food Bank run smoothly. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jewish Federation Of Volusia and Flagler Counties president Marvin Miller (left) and his son Matt Miller volunteer at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volunteers Carl Schumate (left) and Mark Feldman (right) goof around during the Jewish Federation's turkey giveaway at the Jerry Donliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Randy McDonald rolls some carts back after he delivered groceries to people at the Jewish Federation's annual turkey giveaway at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties president Marvin Miller said he enjoys volunteering to help people at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Porsche McMillan (left), Randy McDonald (second from left), Matt Miller (third from left) and Lou Cordara (right) volunteer at the annual Jewish Federation's turkey dinner giveaway at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Brenda McMillan moves a cart of food donated by the residents of Ormond in the Pines to the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jewish Federation volunteers deliver turkeys and assorted groceries to people in their vehicles that lined the street in front of the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Volunteers hustle to fill grocery carts during the Jewish Federation's annual turkey giveaway at the Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
June Duncan (right) and her husband Warren (left) volunteer weekly at the Jewish Federation's Jerry Doliner Food Bank. Photo by Michele Meyers
Marvin Miller, president of the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties, has been giving out turkey dinners to families in need for the past 20 years through the Jerry Doliner Food Bank.
The food bank is one of the federation’s programs designed to assist the local community. This year, volunteers gave 1,000 bags of groceries to 400 families in need the week before Thanksgiving. Based on a family of four, that is the equivalent of approximately 1,600 turkey dinners. Miller said it was the biggest demand they have ever had.
“It’s so wonderful to be here,” Miller said. “We love it. The highlight is our volunteers. If you look around, you see how excited they are to be here.”
There is nothing more meaningful than being able to help our neighbors... Our community is a family. When people in the family are struggling, we all have to join together and help each other out. For us, it’s not just about giving food which is very important, it’s about sharing compassion. We are purveyors of compassion." - RABBI ROB LENNICK, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties
The food bank has been giving out groceries every week for 27 years. A core group of 20 volunteers work weekly with an additional 15 added the week the turkey dinners are distributed. People who requested turkey dinners arrived during their specific time slot, which ran in increments of 15 minutes from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. They checked in, then volunteers delivered the bags of groceries to their cars.
Rabbi Rob Lennick is the executive director of the Jewish Federation of Volusia and Flagler Counties. This is his third year participating in the Thanksgiving dinner giveaway. He noticed that it had grown exponentially. He said the number of people coming to the food pantry has doubled. In the last 12 months, they have served over 19,000 people.
“There is nothing more meaningful than being able to help our neighbors,” he said. “We really need to remember that we are a family. Our community is a family. When people in the family are struggling, we all have to join together and help each other out. For us, it’s not just about giving food which is very important, it’s about sharing compassion. We are purveyors of compassion.”
He said the food bank only happens because of the volunteers—they are the real heroes.
“Our neighbors need a little boost,” Lennick said. “We just need the community support to do it.”
