(COLORADO SPRINGS) — 13 Fort Carson soldiers volunteered their time to help make sure a delicious plate of Thanksgiving food would be ready for the holiday. The soldiers are cooking 300 turkeys along with green beans, dressing, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

“We’ve been planning for this maybe two months now,” said U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3, Frank Peterson. “We did start on Monday at midnight and we’re working around the clock. We have three different shifts in order to make these meals for the area.”

The food they are preparing all comes from donations made to the Colorado Springs Salvation Army. It is the work of the entire community that helps make this feast possible.

“To have everybody come together and work together,” Peterson said. “It just kind of shows the relationship that we have with the local area and what they have with us. We try to build on it, try to keep it going and just try to maintain it. In all actuality, because we’re here for them, the same way that they’re here for us.”

A group of Fort Carson soldiers are working around the clock to make sure a Thanksgiving meal is ready for Southern Colorado.

This group of soldiers are able to create new memories this holiday season by giving back to the Southern Colorado community.

“Trying to bring some kind of joy and happiness into other people’s lives,” said U.S. Army Sergeant, Marissa Rivera.

Rivera has been on the late shift rotation and shared how this experience has allowed her to meet other soldiers who she had not known before.

“Talking to each other, getting to know one another,” Rivera said. “We’re all from different units, so it’s been interesting.”

Turkey is carved on Wednesday morning and ready for the big meal.

While these meal preparations are underway, the Colorado Springs Salvation Army is also gearing up for this special dinner. One of the County Commanders for the Salvation Army of El Paso County, Doug Hanson, expressed how they are still looking for volunteers to help with the special meal.

“There’s about five different opportunities that are related to Thanksgiving Day, whether it’s delivering hot meals we need just drivers, the set-up crew, the servers and the cleanup crew,” Hanson said. “All of those positions are available with exact time frames. I believe they’re mostly in two-hour time slots.”

One soldier holds up a tray of turkey meat which will go to the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving meal.

Click here for more details on helping the Salvation Army with their Thanksgiving feast.

These meals will be distributed at five different locations throughout Southern Colorado including Woodland Park, Fountain, Colorado Springs, and Manitou Springs.

“We’re expecting about 3,000 meals on the day, and we really couldn’t do it without a team of volunteers, a huge team of volunteers,” said Hanson.

300 turkeys along with other traditional favorites, are being cooked at the Fort Carson Culinary Academy.

On a day that celebrates gratitude, it is clear these Fort Carson soldiers are feeling thankful by offering a helping hand to make this big meal possible.

“It makes you feel great again, knowing that I can help the community provide some meals for them on a big holiday throughout the year, just be thankful for it,” said Hanson. “It makes me feel really good inside to be able to support others the best way that I possibly can.”