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Reaching-Out Community Services distributes turkeys for Thanksgiving

November 20, 2018 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Reaching-Out Community Services helped provide Thanksgiving meals for those in need. Photo by Arthur de Gaeta
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Business and civic leaders from Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Bay Ridge joined together to help ensure that Thanksgiving would be a special holiday for neighbors in need.

Over 600 turkeys, plus hams, sweet potatoes and all the trimmings were donated to Reaching-Out Community Services Inc., a nonprofit Bensonhurst-based charity that has fed thousands of hungry families in Southwest Brooklyn, according to Thomas Neve, the founder and executive director of the organization.

The group, which operates a food pantry out of a storefront at 7708 New Utrecht Ave., distributes hundreds of free turkeys at its Operation Gobbler Giving event each year. The distribution traditionally takes place on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and City Harvest provides all the trimmings to go along with the turkey.

So on Monday, hundreds picked up their free holiday meals from a sidewalk full of vendors. 

Zanita Tisdale, director of member engagement at Food Bank for New York City, explained that her organization recently launched a five-borough turkey tour.

“And today we’re here in Brooklyn,” Tisdale told this paper. “Through Food Bank’s partnership with Stop and Shop, we were able to provide our member network with 2,000 turkeys, some of which are being distributed right here at Reaching-Out Community Services.”

City Councilmember Justin Brannan walked up and down the line greeting people.

“This is what Tom does every single day with Reaching-Out Community Services,” Brannan said. “This is just the culmination of all the work Reaching-Out does all year round. Just look at the people lining up because it’s all about just giving back. As long we’re okay and our families are okay, we have to give back. It’s your obligation as a human being to give back to those who are less fortunate.”

 

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