On Thursday morning, a group of Auburn children and their parents gathered at the Auburn PAL Center to cook, pack and then deliver steaming hot Thanksgiving meals to 18 local families. The families were joined by volunteers and members of the Auburn Police Department, including its chief, Phil Crowell.

While hundreds of other local children were at home, tuned in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or working the toggles of a favorite video game, these children were cooking and cleaning to help people they don’t even know.

Learning that commitment to community and developing that sense of leadership is what the Police Activities (or Athletic) League is all about.

The National Police Athletic League was formed in 1940, primarily in urban centers, believing that “It is better to build youth than to mend adults.”

That’s not just a motto. That’s a commitment to correct the reality that our jails are filled with adults who didn’t have much positive guidance in their youth. It’s a commitment to building the leadership skills that have produced the likes of Gen. Colin Powell, an alum of the PAL in the South Bronx.

Larry Holmes and Muhammad Ali were both members of PAL, as were entertainment giants Bill Cosby and Billy Joel.

Untold numbers of children learned to play a bugle through PAL, how to run a football, how to toe around a boxing ring, how to figure algebra and why we should pick up the litter in our streets.

PAL chapters are supported by the NFL and NHL, the U.S. Olympic Committee, USA Boxing and the U.S. Tennis Association, among many others.

There are so many PAL programs that it’s likely every child can find something to connect with: golfing, camping, soccer, Frisbee, fine arts, fishing, twirling, pottery, theater, cooking, football, hiking, rock climbing, swimming, volleyball, bowling, cheerleading, college prep, lacrosse, kickball, debate, chess and — yes — even journalism.

In Auburn, the PAL Center — on Chestnut Street — opened in March. From Monday through Thursday during the school year, police officers and volunteers work with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders on homework, help with arts and crafts and organize sports and games. It’s a community policing and mentoring program that has a solid history of character building.

The Auburn center was launched after police tracked four years of crime data showing that, within less than a half-square mile of the city, 23 percent of all crimes were committed by youth offenders. That same small area accounted for 25 percent of all police calls from citizens.

So, like similar organizations across the country, the Auburn PAL was established to coach youth leadership and athletic skills in an effort to reduce crime. You know, expose children to alternate, positive activities. And, it works.

Connor Pratt, a second-grader at Walton School, spearheaded the PAL Thanksgiving project, a tremendous accomplishment for a seven-year-old.

For his efforts, Connor was presented with a duly earned commemorative police coin. But the real reward for his efforts is in knowing that he and other volunteer cooks gave local families a Thanksgiving they may not otherwise have had.

Lewiston’s Police Athletic League has been in existence longer than Auburn, but like Auburn it depends on private and corporate contributions — like the regular support of L-A Harley and Music Connection — to fund the work.

In Auburn Thursday, after all the dicing, carving and packing was done and the KP wrapped up, what was left was a sense of accomplishment, a learned commitment to make time for others and a solid nugget of hope for the future.

jmeyer@sunjournal.com

For information on the Auburn Police Activities League, go to: http://www.auburnmaine.gov/Pages/Government/Police-PAL

For information on the Lewiston Police Athletic League, go to: https://www.facebook.com/LewistonPAL