Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer today kicked off the second annual holiday Halal meat drive with the Turkish Cultural Center of New York (TCCNY) and City Harvest to commemorate the Muslim holiday of Eid ul Adha that encourages the donation of food to the hungry. This year, the Turkish Cultural Center has donated 1,500 pounds of packaged Halal meat that will be distributed to some 600 partner agencies in all five boroughs.
“We’ve all heard about the fiscal cliff in Washington, but this holiday season, thousands of New Yorkers are on the precipice of an economic cliff,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. “Last year, over 2.5 million New Yorkers struggled with food insecurity, and this number has only been compounded in recent months by the destructive impact of Superstorm Sandy. I am proud to be hosting the second-annual holiday Halal meat drive with the Turkish Cultural Center of New York. Over 1,500 lbs of Halal meet will be donated to City Harvest, an organization that serves as a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people across this City.”
“Turkish-Americans, being a fabric of the society, feel responsible to our neighbors who are not as fortunate – especially after Hurricane Sandy, when thousands of people added to the list of those in need of shelter and soup kitchens. City Harvest has been a big resource for the New Yorkers for the last 30 years. We appreciate the leadership of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and City Harvest in reaching out to people with their needs” said Mehmet Kilic, Vice President of the Turkish Cultural Center New York.
“On behalf of City Harvest, I thank Scott Stringer’s office and the Turkish Cultural Center for its generous donation,” said Jilly Stephens, Executive Director of City Harvest. “At a time when the economy remains unstable and many New Yorkers are struggling to put meals on their tables, we appreciate this contribution that will help fill City Harvest’s fleet of trucks with food for soup kitchens and food pantries across the city.”
