KINGSTON – A total of 1,400 pre-registered families received Thanksgiving turkeys on Monday compliments of People’s Place, a food pantry and thrift shop.
“And that’s well over 4,000 people,” said Christine Hein, executive director of the People’s Place. “Over four decades we have been doing a turkey distribution for Thanksgiving. And we do it on Monday before Thanksgiving. They get a turkey and all of the sides to create a holiday feast at home.”
Volunteers gathered Monday to distribute the frozen turkeys, stuffing, cranberries, green beans, corn, butter and an apple pie as the city closed off one end of St. James Street, normally a two-way street, to accommodate the one-way traffic flowing just off the new traffic circle at the top of Broadway.
The 1,400 families served this year is similar to the same amount in 2020, which followed a sizable increase from the 1,200 families served in 2019.
“This year will be my 10th Thanksgiving, and each year we’ve done a little more each year,” said Hein. “COVID was a huge issue last year. It sort of just maintained what’s been going on during the last year and half.”
