A thousand turkeys for Brooklyn Thanksgiving dinners

For many families, Thanksgiving just wouldn’t be the same without a turkey and all the trimmings. That is why a small army of community groups and volunteers work every year to collect enough donations to feed thousands of Brooklyn families in need who wouldn’t otherwise have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner to share with their family.

On Monday, November 25, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz led a contingent of volunteers in giving out nearly 1,000 turkeys and hundreds of pounds of trimmings to over a hundred local community groups, who will in turn distribute the foodstuffs to hundreds of families across the borough ahead of Thanksgiving Thursday.

“Though the holidays are known as times of plenty, plenty of Brooklynites aren’t sharing in the bounty,” said Markowitz. “For many of our city’s residents, hunger is a year-round problem. Last year more than 2.6 million New Yorkers, and about one out of every three Brooklynites, had difficulty paying for the food they need. It remains important that those of us who can help open our heart ¾and our wallets.

“So as we count our blessings, we will remember to support the churches, mosques, synagogues, senior centers and other organizations throughout Brooklyn operating food pantries, kitchens and meal delivery services,” Markowitz added. “Let’s keep the spirit of giving year-round and show that as Brooklynites we can count on one another. After all, it’s the Brooklyn thing to do.”