The Morongo tribe’s charity machine kept rolling Monday, Nov. 18, with its 38th turkey giveaway. Nonprofit groups, churches and charities from the Inland Empire and beyond again showed up at the Morongo Indian Reservation near Cabazon to pick up the birds, which they’ll distribute to those in need this Thanksgiving season. The annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program has handed out more than 4.1 million holiday meals over the years, a news release states. Crates of frozen turkeys are organized Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, for the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program in which the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Cabazon distributes 15,000 free turkeys to organizations across the Inland Empire. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteer Lester Alloway drives a forklift Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, to help move thousands of turkeys at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Frozen turkeys are ready for distribution Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) An assembly lines of volunteers and members of the Morongo Fire Department organize frozen turkeys Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program in which the Morongo Band of Mission Indians distributes 15,000 free turkeys to organizations across the Inland Empire. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteers and members of the Morongo Fire Department organize frozen turkeys Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Stacks of frozen turkeys are seen Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, near Cabazon at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Stacks of frozen turkeys are ready for distribution Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteers and members of the Morongo Fire Department organize frozen turkeys for the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteers and members of the Morongo Fire Department organize dozens of frozen turkeys Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteers organize frozen turkeys Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, for the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program at which the Morongo Band of Mission Indians distributes free turkeys to organizations across the Inland Empire. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Stacks of frozen turkeys are seen Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, near Cabazon at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteer Lester Alloway uses a forklift Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, to move crates of turkeys at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteers and members of the Morongo Fire Department move frozen turkeys for the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) The 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program, in which the Morongo Band of Mission Indians distributes free turkeys to Inland Empire organizations, takes place Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteers and members of the Morongo Fire Department organize dozens of frozen turkeys Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Crates of frozen turkeys are loaded into trucks Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Barry Owen, of the Morongo Fire Department, moves boxes of frozen turkeys Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, near Cabazon at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program. The Morongo Band of Mission Indians is distributing 15,000 free turkeys to organizations across the Inland Empire. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Show Caption1 of 17Crates of frozen turkeys are organized Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, for the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program in which the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Cabazon distributes 15,000 free turkeys to organizations across the Inland Empire. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Expand “The roots of Morongo’s Thanksgiving Outreach program stretch back decades to a time when our tribe sought to help others even as we ourselves faced adversity,” Morongo Tribal Chairman Charles Martin said in the release. “This year, we continue our tribe’s legacy of giving to others by providing tens of thousands of holiday meals to those who are struggling across the region.” This year’s tally is 15,000 free turkeys — good for an estimated 300,000 Thanksgiving dinners, according to the release. Related Articles Local News | Fall means peak persimmon time Local News | Recipes: How to make a delicious herbed roast turkey for Thanksgiving Local News | Thanksgiving 2024: These restaurants offer take-out turkey feasts Local News | Accidental deaths and unintended shootings spike during holidays, and many are preventable On Monday morning, group representatives visited the Morongo Community Center to pick up the food. In all, 119 organizations are receiving turkeys from the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. They will be used to supply food pantries, schools, veterans’ groups, homeless shelters and other nonprofit organizations, the release states. The Janet Goeske Foundation in Riverside was among those receiving turkeys,  200 to be exact. “We are grateful for Morongo’s kind contribution, which truly embodies the spirit of giving and community that brings us all together,” Janice Peguero, director of the Janet Goeske Food Pantry said in the release. “In addition to offering necessary resources, this support fortifies our goal of helping individuals in need.”