By Christina Santucci
Flushing community leaders joined with staff from City Councilman Peter Koo’s (D-Flushing) office Tuesday morning to show off a haul of more than 350 turkeys slated to be given out for Thanksgiving dinners.
Western Beef supermarket chain donated 80 frozen birds, 200 came from an anonymous donor and the rest of the 360 were collected by 40 community organizations, including the Flushing Chinese Business Association.
After a quick visit to the College Point Boulevard grocer, Koo’s staffers planned to make drops at six locations, including the Latimer Gardens houses, St. George’s Church and the Selfhelp Benjamin Rosenthal Senior Center. Constituents were also able to pick up a turkey for their Thanksgiving meal at Koo’s downtown Flushing office Tuesday afternoon, his chief of staff, Jonathan Chung, said.
“During this holiday season, as we have our meals with our families and so forth, we understand that there are those that are less fortunate and could use our help,” Chung said, speaking in place of Koo, who was in China visiting relatives.
Maureen Regan, president of the Woodhaven-based Green Earth Urban Gardens, planned to use five turkeys from Koo’s office, as well as those bought with donations, to hold a Thanksgiving dinner for more than 200 residents. Last year, the organization’s feast fed about 400 Rockaway peninsula residents, who were affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Peter Tu, executive director of the FCBA, said despite an apparent economic upswing, community members should continue to help their neighbors.
“We should continue the charitable donations,” he said.
