SOMOS Community Care spreads Thanksgiving joy to NYC communities with turkey giveaway
INWOOD, Bronx (WABC) -- A health care organization in New York City is going above and beyond their call of duty this Thanksgiving holiday, putting out the word for people to donate turkeys to help feed the hungry.
The level of gratitude outside Academy Medical Care Practice was palpable.
"I'm not working this year. I'm struggling. God blesses us and this is a blessing," one woman said.
Free turkeys were doled out one by one to hundreds in the Inwood community. The line was so long, it wrapped around Academy Street.
SOMOS Community Care and its network of healthcare providers launched its citywide campaign on Tuesday to bring some 2,300 turkeys to the city's most underserved communities.
"This is part of a tradition that we have been doing since 1996 in this office," said Dr. Pedro Castillo of SOMOS Academy Medical Care.
"While the pandemic might be behind us, the impacts of the pandemic are still going to be felt for some time," said Miguel Centeno of Health First. "Food insecurity was a significant issue during the pandemic and it's not going to go away overnight."
According to the Food Bank for New York City, about one in seven city residents are food insecure.
Health First provided the funding for the turkeys. For Centeno, this is personal.
"I grew up in a very modest family, we were recipients of free food donations," he said.
Now he's paying it forward. Volunteers gave out some 400 turkeys outside of Academy Medical Care in Inwood. The leftovers will be given out to those in need in the Bronx.
"I'm happy the community is getting something good," one woman said.
It's all about spreading a little joy before the Thanksgiving holiday.
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