TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Tallahassee Urban League’s annual Thanksgiving dinner fed dozens of families while highlighting the ongoing need for food and housing support in the community.
- The Frenchtown area is considered a food desert, meaning there isn’t a nearby grocery store that residents can easily access. Which is why gatherings like this one are crucial in the community.
- Many families who attended the Urban League’s Thanksgiving event are also struggling with housing issues, creating a domino effect that makes it even harder to access food.
- Watch the video to see how the gift cards given out at this community support gathering will help a family fund their dinner on Thanksgiving day.
Community thanksgiving dinner feeds families in Frenchtown
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for what we have, but for many families who don't have resources to a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, their gratitude looks a little bit different.
I'm Lyric Sloan in Northwest Tallahassee, where the Tallahassee Urban League is not only feeding families, but also fueling them with resources this holiday season.
A community that is hungry, a community that doesn't have access to grocery stores, a community that is oftentimes overlooked, but not today.
"We have about 50 families that will be coming here today with all of their relatives. We're going to feed them a complete turkey dinner with the turkey, the dressing, the string beans," Curtis Taylor, Tallahassee Urban League President and CEO, said.
One of those families is Kendra Law and her grandchildren.
"We didn't have a turkey. Oh, that helps a lot, because we didn't know what we were going to do for Thanksgiving," Law said.
On Tuesday, the Tallahassee Urban League turned their parking lot into a Thanksgiving community dinner at their annual Thanksgiving celebration, while organizers talked about feeding families, the kids found joy in something simple.
"Mac and cheese, mac and cheese, mac and cheese," Law's grandchildren exclaimed.
But beyond that joy, Law says the need is real.
"Well, a lot of people don't have food stamps. A lot of people don't have means to get food. So this was a very good opportunity, because people are hungry. You know, people need food,"
This event wasn't only about food.
Curtis Taylor, Tallahassee, Urban League President and CEO says that many of the families experience other struggles.
"Our families really not only are they having problems with housing, but they are having other problems. And especially since this government shut down, people lost their food stamps, even though they're coming back now," Taylor said.
This Thanksgiving celebration was an opportunity for residents in the community that aren't able to have a hot Thanksgiving meal on Thursday to come and have a meal with the community.
This is not the only Thanksgiving distribution happening this week.
Here are more food giveaways happening on November 26 and Novemeber 27.
November 26:
- Thankful Deliveries, Second Harvest of the Big Bend, Keiser University, and 211 Big Bend are offering free Thanksgiving meal deliveries. To sign up, call Big Bend 211.
- The Salvation Army, the dinner will be served at The Salvation Army (2410 Allen Road) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
November 27:
- Project Annie, the dinner will be served in the front yard of Project Annie (625 W 4th Avenue) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Mt. Zion Primitive Baptist Church at Dawkins Pond, the dinner will be served at the Walker Ford Community Center (2301 Pasco Street) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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