Editor’s Note: The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.

 

Almost four years on from the start of the pandemic, the long lines of Bronxites waiting at Bedford Park’s Tracey Towers for free turkeys at one of several giveaways held in the lead up to Thanksgiving, show food insecurity, amid the prevailing high cost of food, is still a concern for many Bronxites.

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson joined District 11 City Councilman Eric Dinowitz, who broadly represents the northwest Bronx, on Nov. 16 to distribute turkeys not only to residents of the towers but to New Yorkers who had traveled from as far away as Brooklyn for the event. State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), who represents some or all of Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge, Fieldston, Spuyten Duyvil, North Riverdale, Riverdale, Fordham Manor, Fordham Heights, Mt. Hope, Allerton, Pelham Parkway, Belmont, Little Yemen, Van Nest, Indian Village and Morris Park, also supported the event.

 

Additional elected sponsors/supporters included Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr. (A.D. 80), who broadly represents some or all of Norwood, Baychester, Allerton, Morris Park, Van Nest, Williamsbridge, Pelham Parkway and Pelham Gardens, and Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who represents parts of The Bronx and northern Manhattan.

Gibson joined HOT 97, Ebro in the Morning, WBLS, and Eat Clean Bro for a live broadcast of the Annual Turkey Drive, held in the Tracey Towers community room, located at 40 West Mosholu Parkway South. Hot 97’s vice president of artist and label relations and music director, TT Torrez; Ebro in the Morning hosts, Ebro Darden, Peter Rosenberg, and Laura Stylez; and WBLS’s JusNik all supported the event.

 

After an early start that morning, Gibson told Norwood News, “I want to be here to support the residents and families in Tracy Towers, so I want to acknowledge WBLS, Hot 97, the elected officials, RY Management [the management company for Tracey Towers], Eat Clean Bro, INCA Relief, as well as BronxCare, and really thank them for providing turkeys, fixings, and side items of produce for the residents here to wish them a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving season.”

For his part, Dinowitz said, “This is a wonderful event. Tracy Towers, the residents here, are, of course, wonderful and we’re doing what we can throughout the district to make sure we’re giving what we can to the community.” He added, “So, partnering with Borough President Gibson, we’re giving out hundreds of turkeys today, and my office, in partnership with other elected officials, are giving out hundreds and hundreds of Turkeys throughout my district, along with sides and everything a family needs to make a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for them their friends and family.”

 

On our way into the event, one Tracey Towers resident appeared irritated to see non-Tracey Towers residents waiting in line for turkeys as well. We later spoke to Jean Hill, president of Tracey Towers Tenants Organization, and asked her about the man’s comments. “It’s on the radio,” Hill said. “They broadcast it all over Hot 97. So, people in the community heard it, so they all came over, but you know how many people we have living at Tracey, so really, it’s just enough to cover the people that live here.”

Hill said the plan was to distribute for as long as they could. “Unfortunately, we can’t give to everyone in the neighborhood. Tracey is a huge complex by itself [871 Mitchel Lama apartments],” she said in part. “So, we’ll give as many as we can, try to help as many families as we can. We got sides back there to go with the dinner, so we will keep giving, and keep giving, and keep giving. That’s all I can do.”

 

We asked, given the crowds, which were causing the inside temperature to rise causing some to sweat, how they were distinguishing residents from nonresidents. Hill said she organized two lines. “I separated by Tracy tenants from my visitors,” she said. “I’m checking people off as they come in, so don’t try to sneak up and try to make it as fair as possible, and when we finish with all the Tracey people, we’ll let in our visitors, and we’ll give them as much as we can.”

 

Hill said this would hopefully include Turkey, sides, and leftover gift cards. “We’ll keep going until we run out. You know, we try to help as many people in our community as we can, but my Tracey residents have to come first. No disrespect to anybody in the community.”

 

She thanked all the elected officials for pitching in saying not everybody could bring their produce that day and that other giveaways were being organized on other days. Asked if people were generally appreciative of the event, she said, “Listen, some will be, some won’t.” She said some people had said to her they had been in line since six o’clock that morning and she had tell them, “Yeah, but you don’t live here, so I have to accommodate my people who live here first, and hopefully there’s something left over for you, but it is what it is.”

 

We asked one woman waiting in line how she heard about the event. Speaking in Spanish, she said, “At a school in the South Bronx, they sent a message.” Asked how she found the cost of food this year, compared to others, she said, “The cost is higher than before.” She added that she found the price of rice, sugar, and eggs in particular, to be higher.

 

Rob Morgan came all the way from Brooklyn for the event. Asked if there were local turkey giveaways where he lived, he said, “Yes, very well organized. WBLS showed up, spreading the love to the community.” Asked if he felt more were needed, he said, “It’s definitely positive for the neighborhood and for the people to be looked out for during the holiday season.”

 

We also spoke to Diana Morales who said she lives on East Gun Hill Road, has two kids, and saw a flier about the giveaway and decided to come over to save some money. Asked if she’d noticed a rise in the cost of food, she said, “Yes, definitely a huge increase.” She said she still buys at CostCo because it’s a little more affordable but even there, she has found that an Asian product called “edmame” (like soya beans) that her kids like has doubled, with one bag which she said used to cost $7, now selling for $13/14.

Morales said she doesn’t get food stamps because she’s not eligible and that it’s hard. “Since my daughter had surgery, I stopped working, so it’s just my husband who is working now,” she said. She said social media was good for finding food pantries and events. “I’m glad this was near where I live,” Morales said, adding that she felt a lot of giveaways / pantries were not local and were in “Hunts Point or Tremont” or “Manhattan.” She added, “So, I’ve very glad they decided to host this, this year.”

 

She said she still buys at Costco because it’s a little more affordable but even there, she has found that an Asian product called “edmame” (like soya beans) that her kids like has doubled, with one bag which she said used to cost $7, now selling for $13/14. Morales said she doesn’t get food stamps because she’s not eligible and that it’s hard. “Since my daughter had surgery, I stopped working, so it’s just my husband who is working now,” she said.

 

She said social media was good for finding food pantries and events. “I’m glad this was near where I live,” Morales said, adding that she felt a lot of giveaways / pantries were not local and were in “Hunts Point or Tremont” or “Manhattan.” She added, “So, I’ve very glad they decided to host this, this year.”

 

It was a busy day and season for Gibson. In addition to the Tracey Towers turkey giveaway on Nov. 16, she hosted / cohosted several other giveaways, including later that day, New Settlement’s Pantry Pop-Up Thanksgiving Community Food Giveaway at 1501 Jerome Avenue, her Turkey Giveaway at Keith and Kelly Towers, located at 2475 Southern Boulevard, and the Concourse Village Turkey Giveaway with Krasdale, located at 777 Concourse Village East.

 

On Friday. Nov. 17, she cohosted a Turkey Giveaway with District 8 Council Member Diana Ayala, who represents parts of The Bronx and northern Manhattan at Betances Community Center, located at 547 East 146th Street, and she also joined AT&T for another Turkey Giveaway at East 184th Street and Morris Avenue (Playground for M.S. 363).

 

On Monday, Nov. 20, she joined New York Giants running back, Saqon Barkley, and State Assembly Member Kenny Burgos (A.D. 85), who broadly represents some or all of Clason Point, Harding Park, Castle Hill, Soundview and Longwood, for a Turkey Giveaway at Bronx River Community Center, located at 1619 East 174th Street, and partnered with other elected leaders at Co-Op City for a Turkey Giveaway at 2045 Bartow Mall, Asch Loop, and another at Jaime Towers, at 630 Pugsley Avenue, with Assembly Member Karina Reyes (A.D. 87), who broadly represents Parkchester, Unionport, Westchester Square and Castle Hill and West Farms.

 

Gibson also partnered for Glebe Turkey Giveaway, at 2125 Glebe Avenue with State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez (S.D. 34), who broadly represents the East Bronx from norther to south. On Tuesday, Nov. 21, Gibson hosted the Northeast Bronx YMCA Turkey Giveaway at 1250 E. 229th Street, and joined Fat Joe’s & Krasdale Turkey Drive with UPNYC at 2490 3rd Avenue. The same day, she also attended the Veteran Turkey Giveaway at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center at 130 West Kingsbridge Road in Fordham Manor. Several other giveaways were also held across the borough in recent weeks by various other elected officials and organizations.

 

Back at Tracey Towers, another man whose gave his name as Born Original, and who was from Edenwald Projects, said he heard about the event through word of mouth and on HOT 97. Asked if he had a family, he said, “Yes, I have a wife, kids, a mother, sisters, uncles, aunts, brothers – big family.” Asked for his thoughts on the giveaway, he said, “It was festive. It was nice, entertaining, it was plentiful, and it was a blessing coming into 2024. Everyone was able to get what they needed. Love is in the air. It’s for the culture. It’s always a blessing when the government or people can come by and help for the holidays, as they did.”