Thanksgiving Gobbler Press Release
The Beloved Community Hosts Impactful Free Community Event: Thanksgiving Gobbler
November 30, 2024
Binghamton, NY — The Beloved Community (TBC), a nonprofit helping address food insecurity in Broome County, felt the rewards of its Thanksgiving Gobbler event. As a continuation of our holiday meal program that began with Easter Feaster, this multifaceted Thanksgiving Gobbler event united together community members, volunteers, and local organizations.
Held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton (UUCB), our free event created a warm and welcoming space for anyone in the community to enjoy a nutritious and from-scratch Thanksgiving dinner. TBC proudly served 350 meals! With on-site service reaching 147 meals and an additional 203 meals distributed to high-need areas in the community.
Also, TBC offered Gobbler guests information about local community resources and basic needs. We distributed ~280 winter apparel items—warm coats, hats, socks, scarves, and gloves—to help our neighbors combat the winter elements. We ensured its impacts resonated through other local organizations, such as Twin Rivers Church and Hunger Resistance, by donating them leftover winter items and food ingredients. The news station Fox40 WICZ offered press coverage of our event, interviewing our leadership and guests, and highlighting the positive impacts on the community. TBC is honored to be well-embedded and trusted in our neighborhood.
To design and build the Gobbler, TBC’s Steering Committee worked closely with UUCB and head chef Kenny Brown. We secured a food permit from the Broome County Health Department, purchased about a thousand pounds of food ingredients, collected winter item donations from the community, and promoted the Thanksgiving meal through entertaining social media posts.
WBNG News kindly advertised our community meal, and Bundy Radio (WBDY-LP 99.5 FM) generously recorded and aired our event promo to their listeners. TBC volunteers canvassed to an impressive 118 locations across Broome and Tioga Counties. We appreciate the many local businesses that posted our event flyer and/or donated to the event. We are especially grateful for support from UUCB for their beautiful venue, funding, and logistical help, and from House of Reardon for their donated kitchen supplies and funding.
In the weeks leading up to the event, TBC leaders inventoried kitchen supplies and cold storage space, sourcing more cooking gadgets and renting another fridge as needed. We acquired nearly 420 lbs of turkey (over 3 dozen birds!) for chef Kenny and volunteers to thaw, brine, and season, hoping that it’d be especially enjoyed by our neighbors that rarely experience delicious, high-quality meals.
@tbcneighborhood Turkey, spice, & everything nice! Come spice up your life at TBC’s Thanksgiving Gobbler! Join us this Saturday at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton from 3pm-6pm for a delicious homemade turkey dinner 🦃🍽️ #TBCthanksgiving #tbcneighborhood #TheBelovedCommunity #freeeventsbinghamton #freefood #BinghamtonNY ♬ Spice Up Your Life – Spice Girls
The day before the event, more than 20 volunteers gathered at UUCB to prepare food and set up all areas of the event. Under the guidance of TBC leaders, teams of volunteers worked to outfit the surrounding neighborhood with signs, organize and display donated winter items, ready the food plating area, and decorate the social hall with fall themes. In the kitchen, chef Kenny and volunteers cooked turkeys, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, green beans, and stuffing—with dietary substitutes to ensure everyone could enjoy a filling Thanksgiving meal!
At the event, more than 55 volunteers joined us jubilant TBC leaders to host an incredible Thanksgiving Gobbler at UUCB. Volunteers became part of teams that greeted guests, seated and served them in the social hall, plated their Thanksgiving meal, and/or distributed them local resources and winter items. After hundreds of meals and donations served out to the community, we organized meal deliveries for neighbors that couldn’t attend the event. Volunteers boxed up the remaining food and delivered meals to high-need areas like local shelters, bus stations, and encampments.
We honor our volunteers, donors, partner organizations, and representatives from local food access groups, that all helped achieve our successful Thanksgiving Gobbler event. It takes a village!
