CLEVELAND — With just about a week to go until Thanksgiving, cars lined up outside two of MetroHealth’s Cleveland locations as part of a turkey giveaway.
About 1,500 turkeys were available courtesy of Cleveland Food Bank as part of this drive-through event.
“It’s just a way for us to connect with those in the neighborhood that might need a little help this Thanksgiving,” Mike Tobin, vice president of communications and government relations at MetroHealth, said.
It comes as many still deal with the lasting impacts from the pandemic.
Darlene Barrett was one of the first cars in line for the event. This mother of nine lost her job as a delivery driver at the beginning of the pandemic.
“I just wish we could get through this pandemic already,” Barrett said. “It’s rough. I have bills that need to be paid, everything. I have put out my resume and I've been filling out applications and I haven't been getting any calls back.”
According to the Cleveland Food Bank, the nonprofit served 87,000 new people in just the past year who had never used their services before.
“We’ve talked about COVID-19 fatigue and compassion fatigue,” Tobin added. “I am worried people have forgotten the need for this.”
This giveaway is part of a larger push this holiday season—with the Cleveland Food Bank distributing 21,000 turkeys throughout the month.
A larger giveaway is scheduled for Thursday at the Muni Lot. The distribution will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursday at the Muni Lot, which is located at 1503 Marginal Road.
Pre-registration is required. Click here to register.
If you missed the giveaways today, there's another one tomorrow at the Muni Lot from 1-4 p.m. Check out the @WEWS story for how to register. https://t.co/MueSa59DoE
— Clay LePard (@ClayLePard) November 17, 2021
While Darlene Barrett continues to wait for her next job opportunity, her wait for a turkey dinner is over.
“It’s going to mean everyone is eating pretty good,” she said. “We need all the help I can get right now. “
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