Thanksgiving Teamwork to Remember
“The efforts of many people to provide meals to families without gas in NYCHA developments was a tremendous success,” said Marcela Medina, State Legislative Affairs Officer in NYCHA’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations. On Thanksgiving Day, more than 600 NYCHA residents were treated to Thanksgiving meals at seven developments located in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Manhattan.
For safety reasons, some residents were without gas in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. NYCHA’s Office of Intergovernmental Relations, along with the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs and Hillsong Church NYC, joined together to make sure these residents would still get the chance to enjoy a special holiday meal. All food was provided by Hillsong Church.
“At De Hostos, residents not only got their meal for the day, but they were also given a frozen turkey and a bag full of groceries. By noon, over 600 residents in three boroughs were fed,” Ms. Medina said. The enthusiasm of the message served as a reminder that the best part of Thanksgiving, or any holiday, is sharing the spirit of the occasion with others.
Meals were delivered between 10 a.m. and noon to families at the following developments: Borinquen Plaza, Brownsville Houses, Howard Houses, Fort Independence Houses, Sotomayor Houses, De Hostos Towers, and Fort Washington. Some residents also received first-come, first-serve food to take home, which included a frozen turkey and a bag full of groceries.
Approximately 60 people volunteered to help make the event a success, including Councilmember Helen Rosenthal, volunteers from Hillsong Church, NYCHA, and PSA 6. “This was a real collaborative and creative effort, which showed how much we can accomplish when we work together as a team,” said Intergovernmental Relations Deputy Director Jennifer Montalvo. “A special thanks has to go to the wonderful people at Hillsong, New York, who provided the food and great group of volunteers.“
“The Mayors Community Affairs team were also tremendous partners from beginning to end,” Intergovernmental Relations Director Brian Honan noted. “Council Member Rosenthal and the local PSA were also on hand for the day.”
