Youth & Rec Hands Out 1,250 Turkeys At Pre-Thanksgiving Giveaway

Hundreds of New Haveners are now a bit more prepared for next week’s holiday meal after picking up a free bird at the city Youth and Recreation Department’s annual turkey drive. 

That festive giveaway took place Thursday afternoon at John S. Martinez School on James Street in Fair Haven.

Residents from all over New Haven stood in a walk-up line that extended the entire length of the school’s parking lot to pick up a free turkey before Thanksgiving. The giveaway was hosted by Youth and Rec in partnership with the Yale and New Haven Police Departments. 

In addition to handing out bags that were each loaded with a 15-pound turkey, volunteers also distributed face masks. 

A Fair Havener named Frank picked up a turkey from Fair Haven Alder Sarah Miller and exclaimed: ​“I love this kind of stuff.” 

Dozens of police officers joined as volunteers at the Thursday event along with local college students and Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers and Annex Alder Sal Punzo. 

Once leaving the turkey line, residents stopped by a small free pantry to pick up one side or extra pantry product like seasonings, stuffing, canned corn, and rice. 

The Thursday giveaway distributed 1,250 turkeys along with additional donations to the police department’s survivors of homicide support group.

The Youth and Rec Department also partnered with the the NHPD’s district managers for the holiday season to deliver cookies to senior housing residents. 

New Haven native Dymond Wilder, 33, picked up a turkey Thursday for her mother-in-law.

Wilder plans to cook for her immediate family for Thanksgiving and later stop by her mother-in-law’s house.

“This definitely helped a lot,” Wilder said. ​”I didn’t even get a chance to buy one for us yet.” 

Wilder came to the giveaway immediately after getting off of work Thursday afternoon. 

New Haven native Tamara, 30, picked up a turkey with her three-year-old daughter. They stood bundled up in line on the chilly afternoon, along with others until they were greeted at the front by a dozen volunteers. 

Tamara picked up the turkey that her mother plans to cook for her family’s tradition of Thanksgiving dinner with her siblings, mother, and grandmother. 

Thanksgiving is one of Tamara’s favorite holidays and has become special to her since her grandmother survived being in a coma after contracting Covid.

“It’s brought us closer,” she said. 

This year Tamara will be tasked with bringing the baked macaroni and cheese and yams to her family’s gathering. 

Volunteers at Thursday’s event included Worshipful Master for the Widows Son Lodge Prince Hall Masons Gramen Wilson. 

Wilson was joined by his fellow members who helped to distribute, unpack boxes, and direct car traffic. 

Despite the plan to host a distribution of home-cooked holiday meals this Sunday, Wilson said he’s looking to support his community as much as possible and so joined the Thursday event as a volunteer.

The Prince Hall Masons food distribution will distribute hot holiday meals from 106 Goffe St. at 4 p.m. on Sunday. Wilson said the team will also be making food deliveries to those who cannot make it. 

Youth and Rec will support the Sunday event with the donation of 20 turkeys which Wilson plans to cook up with his team for the hot meals. 

This year will be the organization’s first annual distribution after doing deliveries for the past eight years.

Wilson said the group decided to serve hot meals this year after they made a delivery to one house with no power. 

Wilson recalled the resident answering the door last year and a young child asking him, ​“Do you have something to eat?” 

“We realized that while the food parts are helpful, sometimes that’s not the best option for the people who have no way to make the meals,” Wilson said.

While directing the car pick-up traffic, Youth and Recreation Director Gwendolyn Busch Williams told this reporter that her department is committed to addressing New Haveners’ basic needs like food insecurity throughout the year. 

Busch Williams said her department is already getting calls from residents looking to have meals secured for the Christmas season. 

While Youth and Rec typically hosts a city-wide toy drive during the Christmas season, Busch said she is looking to plan a December food distribution for families in need of support for another holiday meal. 

Since Busch Williams began leading the department in 2020, she and her team have been on a mission to ​“change the way you look at students,” she said. That means, when her team plans department events, they not only target the child but the entire household to address community concerns like food insecurity with a ​“holistic approach,” she said.

She added that by addressing the needs of the entire family, a student is likely able to get by with a bit more ease.

As Thursday’s giveaway wrapped up, city youth specialist Ron Huggins joined Mayor Justin Elicker and Police Chief Karl Jacobson in making a celebratory TikTok video. 

Huggins created the online challenge recently called the “#HuggyBearChallenge” which encourages the TikTok community to dance with the lyrical reminder that ​“today’s a great day to have a great day on purpose.”

Huggins, Elicker, Jacobson and others danced along to the audio made by Huggins. So far the challenge has featured local students, parents, teachers, first responders, security guards, New Yorkers, and others.

”During a time where people are divided over so many issues this TikTok challenge is meant to bring people together,” Huggins said. ​“When you go on TikTok you see people from all over, different ages, genders, etc doing it just to unite us.”