November 18, 2023

Queens – On Saturday, November 18, Council Member Julie Won and Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement partnered to serve 2,000 meals at the 16th Annual Fall Family Feast Thanksgiving dinner. The hot, freshly made meals were provided by Rethink Foods and a total of $25,000 in funding was provided by the Council Member’s office and Amazin’ Mets Foundation. 

On Saturday, November 18, and Sunday, November 19, Council Member Won, community partners, and volunteers distributed over 2,000 turkeys to residents at NYCHA Queensbridge Houses, Ravenswood Houses, and Woodside Houses. Funding was provided by the Council Member’s office and the turkeys were donated by community partners at Queens Together, Food Bazaar, Local 79/LIUNA, Northern Woodside Coalition, DC 9, Carpenters Union (DCC), Culture Lab, Plaxall, Bread of Life/Urban Upbound, Rise, Light, & Power, Just Cause Foundation, GrubHub, and Woodside on the Move. 

“This Thanksgiving, we are happy to provide over 2,000 hot meals and over 2,000 turkeys to our neighbors in public housing and local shelters. This holiday, no family in our district will be left hungry or nostalgic for a traditional Thanksgiving meal thanks to the generosity of our community partners,” said Council Member Julie Won. “ Thank you to all of our partners at Queensbridge, Ravenswood, and Woodside Houses, Riis Settlement, Rethink Foods, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, Queens Together, Food Bazaar, Local 79/LIUNA, NYC District Council of Carpenters, DC9, Woodside on the Move, Northern Woodside Coalition, Culture Lab, Urban Upbound, Rise, Light, & Power, and Just Cause Foundation.” 

“Thanksgiving is a time to gather around the dinner table and enjoy a home-cooked meal with your loved ones. As the largest public housing development in the country, it warms my heart that so many of my neighbors will get to enjoy a turkey at their dinner table,” said Corrine Haynes, President, NYCHA Queensbridge Houses Resident Association. “Queensbridge residents are grateful to Council Member Won and our community partners for bringing the turkey giveaway back to Queensbridge for the second year.”

“The holiday season is an exciting time but can be a source of worry for families with the rising cost of food. This giveaway hosted by Council Member Julie Won serves all of our neighbors and makes sure that families, seniors, and all Ravenswood residents have access to a free turkey,” said Carol Wilkins, President, NYCHA Ravenswood Houses Resident Association. “Thank you to the Council Member and local organizations for putting the community first this Thanksgiving!”

“Woodside Houses is excited to receive turkeys for our Thanksgiving tables this year,” said Nan McKie Tammy Reyes, President and Acting President, Woodside Houses Tenant Association. “From making sure residents have heat and hot water to supporting all the amazing programming at our senior center, we know that Council Member Won will always be an advocate for the Woodside Houses community. Thank you to the Council Member and local organizations for helping to spread the holiday cheer.” 

“Fall Family Feast at Riis Settlement’s Queensbridge Community Center is our largest community event of the year, offering a delicious and nutritious pre-Thanksgiving meal to well over 1,000 local residents. Just as importantly, it builds community and deepens connection among all of our neighbors at a challenging time in our city. We are extremely grateful to Council Member Julie Won for her support of this event and look forward to celebrating with her and the Long Island City Community,” said Christopher Hanway, Executive Director, Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement.

“Together with Council Member Julie Won, Queens Together was able to be part of the effort to ensure that thousands of NYCHA residents received a turkey for their Thanksgiving table this year,” said Jonathan Forgash, Executive Director of Queens Together. “We are grateful to be a part of residents’ holiday celebrations and demonstrate the power of compassion, hospitality, and community through this giveaway.” 

“At Woodside On The Move (WOTM), we’re fueled by community love and community support. This turkey drive, sponsored by Council Member Julie Won through her love for her constituents and through the funding she’s allocated to us for food initiatives, is symbolic. It is symbolic because for too long, Woodside Houses has been on the fringes of the district. WOTM aims to bridge that gap and ensure no neighbor faces food insecurity alone, especially during the holidays. Together, we embody the spirit of Woodside — caring, supporting, and strength through our bonds,” said William Jourdain, Executive Director, Woodside on the Move.  

“All of us at Rise Light & Power wish a Happy Thanksgiving to friends and neighbors in Western Queens. We are thrilled to donate 200 turkeys today to help make the season bright for those in need,” said Wil Fisher of Rise Light & Power. “As we celebrate progress on clean energy projects that will lower emissions and create new green jobs, we are thankful for the tireless advocacy of our community for a sustainable future.”