Thursday, October 1, 2026
The spirit of Thanksgiving arrived early at the Village of Freeport Police Department, where a hot holiday meal was delivered to officers and firefighters who spent the day on duty, ensuring the community’s safety while others gathered at home.
At noon on Thanksgiving Day, Town of Hempstead Supervisor John Ferretti, Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy and Milleridge Inn President Butch Yamili arrived at police headquarters at 46 N. Ocean Ave. with full turkey dinners prepared by the historic Milleridge Inn.
They were joined by Freeport PBA President Brendan Combs and Freeport Police Chief Michael Smith.
The delivery, officials said, was meant to recognize first responders who routinely sacrifice time with their families — especially on holidays — to serve the public.
“Supervisor Ferretti’s generosity reminds us what Thanksgiving is all about,” said Mayor Kennedy. “Our officers work around the clock, and knowing they’ll have a holiday meal delivered right to the Freeport Police Department is something that means a great deal to our entire Village.”
Freeport’s top cop underscored the gesture.
“This is a wonderful and thoughtful act,” Chief Smith said. “A hot Thanksgiving dinner goes a long way during a long shift.”
Bringing the idea to life
In an interview, Ferretti said the inspiration for the initiative was straightforward: honor those who cannot be home during one of the year’s most meaningful family holidays.
“As you’re aware, on Thanksgiving, although most people have off for the holiday, our first responders, and in particular, our law enforcement, including the village Freeport village police department, they’re out there working keeping our residents safe,” Ferretti said. “And so I thought it would be great to partner with a local restaurant to deliver nice, warm Thanksgiving meals to our men and women who are keeping residents safe.”
The Milleridge Inn stepped in immediately, he added.
“Butch Yamili and The Milleridge Inn partnered with the town of Hempstead to make that possible and deliver Thanksgiving turkey meals with all the trimmings to the Freeport village police officers who were on duty that day,” Ferretti said.
The meals included “turkey meal, full turkey meal with stuffing, sweet potatoes and even apple pie for dessert,” he noted — a spread intended to replicate the holiday tables officers would otherwise miss.
Gratitude from the department, and a growing tradition
Ferretti estimated that “about 30 to 40 warm meals” were delivered.
“Their response — they were so thankful and so happy to have, you know, just in a small way, although they weren’t with their families, they were at least able to celebrate Thanksgiving together,” he said. “They were at least able to experience a small level. The Thanksgiving dinner at the at the village hall.”
The supervisor emphasized that the gesture reinforced a broader message about the importance of thanking public safety workers year-round.
“Without their bravery, without their willingness to be apart from their families on holidays, we wouldn’t be kept safe,” he said. “We should always thank our law enforcement, our police officers, for everything they sacrifice to keep us safe.”
