LONG ISLAND, NY – Thanksgiving is traditionally the time when American families join together to feast on turkey and thoughtfully prepared side dishes. But many working families find that hard to do.
According to Food Bank NYC, a non-profit social services organization and the major hunger-relief organization working against hunger in the five boroughs, nearly 1.1 million New York City residents, or 12.9 percent, are food insecure – meaning they struggle to put food on the table.
This Thanksgiving, District Council 9, in partnership with Vision Long Island and the Pinktie organization, a community-led charity located in Melville, made a difference for some of those hard-pressed families. On Nov. 24, DC 9 donated 40 turkey vouchers to the Trinity Lutheran Church, and with their partners participated in multiple food drives at local food pantries across Long Island. The union’s Annual Teri Muroff-Meyer Food Drive also includes a number of other campaigns in Harlem, Port Chester and Yonkers.
Just a few days prior, on Friday Nov. 19, District Council 9 donated 120 turkey vouchers, valued at $25 each, at the Cesar E. Chavez School in Yonkers. Ginsburg Development Companies matched the donation, making a total of 240 turkey vouchers donated.
“Ahead of Thanksgiving, District Council 9 is making sure no family is left behind,” Joseph Azzopardi, business manager and secretary treasurer of District Council 9 said. “We were delighted to partner with our longtime partner, Vision Long Island, and the PinkTie Delivers program at their great event, and be able to distribute turkey vouchers. It provided us the opportunity to uplift the spirits of families in need across Wyandanch.”
District Council 9 is a chapter of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, an organization of painters, decorators, wall coverers, drywall finishers, sign painters, metal polishers, bridge & structural steel painters, civil service painters, lead abatement workers, glaziers & architectural metal glassworkers, paint makers and allied trades. The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades is dedicated to securing and improving wages, benefits, and overall working conditions for its members.
“Vision Long Island is grateful to work with District Council 9 in giving back to our community during this holiday season partnering with the PinkTie Delivers program,” Eric Alexander, Vision Long Island director and PinkTie Delivers board member said. “We thank them for their continuous partnership and efforts in the community across Long Island. After what everyone has been through this past year, my hope is for families to have the chance to be with their loved ones and enjoy their time together and we’re thankful to be able to help provide some support.”
