Hundreds of low-income Berkeley families will be enjoying a complete Thanksgiving meal, thanks to the dedication of a small group of volunteers.

In the dark at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, a handful of police officers and volunteers moved quietly in the cold to unload crates of food and set up rows of tables in front of Old City Hall. An hour later the tables were loaded with goods and 80 volunteers who were forming an assembly line and filling baskets.

By the end of the day, they expected to have all 250 baskets packed, boxed and hand-delivered to families nominated by beat and parking enforcement officers who have become familiar with their circumstances, said Berkeley police Officer Andrew Frankel.

"Beat officers get to know these families and this is an opportunity for them to help out," Frankel said.

The 24th annual tradition was funded by Berkeley Police Department and the UCPD, whose officers raised about $12,000 in September by participating in their "Turkey Ride" fundraiser, an annual bike ride from Berkeley to South Lake Tahoe that began in 1983.

Berkeley Boosters Association, Berkeley Chamber of Commerce and Berkeley Rotary Club were among the organizations represented by volunteers. UC Berkeley groups, such as service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and service organizations Circle K and Cal Rotaract also assisted.

Berkeley Rotary Club member Pat Carey, 86, said the club's involvement in several projects allows him to give back to the community.

"We do a lot of community activities, not just giving money, but actually doing the work," he said. "This is my way of doing something for a lot of families that need help this year."

Berkeley High School junior Sara Guerrero said being involved with the booster association helps keep students focused.

"A lot of Berkeley youth is involved with high school violence and this distracts us from joining that violence," she said. "It makes us not see violence but instead see people getting help."

Frankel added that 250 more baskets will be assembled and distributed during the Christmas holiday.

"This is important to the community. We know times are tough economically," he said. "This is an opportunity for us to show that we care about the community we protect and serve."

Tags: BERKELEY POLICE DEPARTMENT, UCPD, THANKSGIVING, TURKEY