BY BROOKE SMITH
More than 500 turkeys were given out to families in need this Thanksgiving season in a drive sponsored by state Senator Leroy Comrie earlier this week.
The two-day drive was made possible through donations from local food providers and community-minded organizations.
Comrie enlisted the help of community partners in distributing the 500 turkeys to help alleviate some of the pressures the holidays bring to those in need. In Queens, 300,000 people are food insecure, meaning they have limited or inconsistent access to nutritious and safe food.
The first drive took place on Nov. 14 at the Community Church of Christ in Jamaica. The second was held at Martin Van Buren High School on Nov. 17. The drives were co sponsored by Assembly members David I. Weprin and Vivian Cook, Councilman I. Daneek Miller and Councilman-elect Barry Grodenchik.
“Our districts are composed of families from all walks of life, and with varying degrees of needs, and so to join Senator Comrie in this offering of fellowship and love is exactly what we need to bring us all together,” Miller said.
This year’s drive marked a significant point in all the years the drive has been held. “When our world’s stability hangs so tenuously in the balance, it is those things that ground us, our families, our neighborhoods and each other that become so much more important,” Comrie said.
Participants hope this turkey drive will help remind people what the holiday season is all about.
“During these especially trying times for the people of France, let this Thanksgiving be especially heartfelt and let us give thanks for the freedoms we get to enjoy amongst those who are near and dear to us,” Weprin said.
