John Mitty Tuesday, November 20, 2012 |
November 20, 2012 – As many people sit down to Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and give thanks for family, friends and a bountiful meal, National Grid is acutely aware that many customers whose homes were devastated by Hurricane Sandy will not have the usual comforts this year. In recognition of that, National Grid has launched “Operation Turkey: Feeding Families, Restoring Hope”, to bolster the resources of community partners who traditionally host Thanksgiving dinner for families in need.
National Grid, with the help of A&P, will deliver 2,500 turkeys to community pantries, food banks, and advocacy organizations, across 16 Metro New York-areas. Some organizations will receive up to 375 turkeys, along with a financial donation to round out the table with traditional Thanksgiving side dishes that will help feed hundreds of families in need. Other organizations have requested only the financial donation to help provide extra resources for their tables.
“For those of us who have been working tirelessly to restore heat and power to downstate New York neighborhoods for three weeks now, giving thanks takes on a whole new meaning. In some cases, the basic comforts of life: a warm bed, family nearby and a hot meal, were taken away by the devastation wrought by Superstorm Sandy,” said Ken Daly, President of National Grid – New York. “At National Grid we believe our support goes ‘beyond the meter;’ if customers cannot receive service due to structural or flood damage, we want to do what we can to ease the burden through the restoration process. This year, as we give thanks for the safety of our family and friends, we hope they can put their troubles aside for one afternoon and enjoy a hot meal with loved ones.”
“We’re happy to support this worthy cause by providing the logistics support necessary to deliver these turkeys around the Metro New York area in time for Thanksgiving dinner,” said Sam Martin, President and CEO of A&P. “As the food and drug store of the neighborhood, it’s our responsibility to take care of the communities we serve by helping to make sure the organizations that provide Thanksgiving meals are able to do so this year, despite the aftermath of the storm.”
The organizations receiving the turkey dinners and/or financial donations are located in Staten Island, Brooklyn, Far Rockaway and on Long Island. They include:
· Long Beach Recreation and Ice Rink – Long Beach
· Island Harvest - Hauppauge
· Chateau La Mar - Lindenhurst
· Project Hospitality – Staten Island
· Martin Luther King Center – Long Beach
· Oceanside Community Service – Ocean Side
· Community Christian Center – Staten Island
· Abe Stark Rink – Coney Island
· Court Club – Brooklyn (Garrison Beach)
· Millennium Health Centers (six different clinic locations)
· Surfinbird – Far Rockaway
· Occupy Sandy – Far Rockaway
· Church of God Christian Academy – Far Rockaway
· St. Marks – Brooklyn
· St. Francis DeSales – Brooklyn
· The Church of the Nazarene – Far Rockaway
“At Operation SurfinBird, my wife Tamara and I have seen the devastation first-hand as we
worked in Far Rockaway following Superstorm Sandy. The neighborhoods are filled with wonderful, resilient people who have been hit hard. We aim to provide a distinguished Thanksgiving that feels real, authentic and communal,” said Eli Metcalf, founder of Operation SurfinBird. “We are thankful for the support of community partners like National Grid who step in at these critical moments to help us achieve our mission to bring a proper Thanksgiving table to our neighbors.”
|