New York City Councilmember Marjorie Velázquez joined Bronx House and the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday to host two of this year’s annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaways. With hundreds of local residents facing food insecurity, particularly seniors, Velázquez worked with key partners to bring Thanksgiving dinner to families across the community.
Velázquez’s office has received numerous calls citing the need for support in bridging the food insecurity gap, particularly among seniors. Through initiatives like the turkey giveaway, Velázquez and this year’s partners, DoorDash, Lyft, GrubHub and CCA Metro, collaborated to meet the community’s varying needs, including the availability of kosher turkeys.
“I am grateful that our partners helped us serve so many families, including our seniors this Thanksgiving, and I look forward to our future partnerships for the betterment of our community,” Velázquez said.
“Food insecurity continues to plague our great country, especially as the average cost of turkeys is much higher than last year,” said Howard Martin, CEO of Bronx House. “We are so grateful to our partners – Councilwoman Marjorie Velázquez, DoorDash, LYFT, and CCA Metro for their generous contributions in allowing Bronx House to give away over 200 turkeys. No one should be without a turkey on Thanksgiving simply because of the cost.”
“The Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club is always thankful for the tremendous amount of support within the community and the consistent partnerships we’ve had year-round,” said Yasmin Brown, director of contracted services at Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club. “With this donation, we have assured the community we serve within the Kips Bay-Throggs Neck Center will have a nourishing meal within their homes and have much to be thankful for.”
“Especially during the holidays, Grubhub wants all New Yorkers to be able to sit down over a meal to connect and make memories with their family,” said Brett Swanson, Grubhub’s senior manager of community affairs and social impact. “Today’s turkey giveaway is an extension of our partnership with Councilmember Velázquez through our ‘Serving the City’ program, and we can’t wait to replicate this with many other events all over the city to provide hundreds of turkeys this year.”
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