The local police union is seeking help in brightening the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays of those who cannot afford a full traditional meal.

“We’re looking for assistance with the donation of turkeys,” said North Haven officer Michael Compare, president of local police union 3087, “The union is giving 20 turkeys for Thanksgiving, and we’re looking for anybody to match our 20 turkeys.”

The union is donating the turkeys to the Town Hall food bank, run by the Department of Community Services. The food bank gives away the turkeys to North Haven families that cannot afford a full holiday meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The in-town partnership was born last year out of Compare’s generosity.

“I had previously donated a turkey for Thanksgiving,” Compare said. “I spoke to [Community Services employee] Dan Riccio, and he said that the food bank was 15 turkeys short for Christmas.”

Enlightened of the shortfall, Compare and the police union contacted Montowese Meat, 95 Middletown Ave., and worked out an arrangement. “They gave us a really good deal on turkeys,” Compare said, and the union filled the need, also donating additional food items.

A year later, Compare said, Community Services asked if the police union would be willing to assist with turkeys once again.

“Mr. Riccio said that they were a little short this year for Thanksgiving,” Compare said. “He said that because of the economy, they were a few turkeys short.”

Compare hoped that by donating a large number of turkeys now, the town could be set for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. The union president believed that assisting the town’s food pantry was simply part of his job as a police officer.

“That’s why we all took this job in the first place,” he said, “to help out. If we can help out on a different level, it’s nice.”

Compare said that it would mean a lot to those who are in need if they were supplied with a holiday turkey.

“It’s a really small item that everybody takes for granted this time of year,” he said. “For some people, it’s really a big gift.”

“If something like that makes somebody’s holiday, then that’s the least we can do,” he added.

Clearly compassionate about the donation of holiday meals, Compare hoped that the public could help provide an abundance of available food items during a time of economic recession.

“I figured that I’d put it out there to any other citizens that they could drop off turkeys, non perishable items, and money to help purchase perishable food items,” he said.

Any donations can be brought to the lobby of the North Haven police department, 18 Church St. Community Services hands out the turkeys to needy families on Nov. 23 and 24, Compare said, and any donated items need to be brought in by Nov. 18.

For more information, contact Compare at (203) 988-1149.