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Syracuse Community Comes Together to Have Thanksgiving Dinner for Homeless Syracuse Community Comes Together to Have Thanksgiving Dinner

Syracuse Community Comes Together to Have Thanksgiving Dinner for Homeless

By Cyera Williams

Volunteers preparing meals to distribute at Billings Park.
© 2020 Cyera Williams

CYERA WILLIAMS: Thanksgiving in a pandemic has been very hard for the homeless and working poor, Food and Shelter have become a drastic necessity as the year goes on

EDDIE MITCHELL: Basically, you know we in a pandemic, everybody’s struggling, everybody don’t have the means to have a thanksgiving, visit they family, they shelters closed, different places aren’t having sit down things. So it’s our biddest thing to give people on the streets, working people, something to eat

CYERA: According to the annual count of the city regions and the homeless population, SEVEN HUNDREDANDTHIRTYTWO people are homeless. Jobs have also dropped by TWELVE percent, so a little help is a blessing

DARNELL WASHINGTON: Not only this pandemic, but in real life, people don’t have anywhere to go, so this is a blessing

CYERA: The pandemic has impacted the homeless and working poor the most, before the pandemic about 30% of people lived in poverty but that number has since increased. Giving back it’s just one way the community of Syracuse is trying to help.

SEN. RACHEL MAY: A lot of people’s unemployment benefits are going to run out in the next couple of weeks and that’s going to be another point where we expect to see more people getting evicted and that sort of thing so we really have to kick into gear right now, the state doesn’t have the resources to anything for particularly right now but we’re pushing as hard as we can

CYERA: In Syracuse, Cyera Williams, NCC News

SYRACUSE, NY (NCC NEWS) – We Rise Above the Streets Outreach and Team A.N.G.E.L organized a Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless and working poor. Every Saturday, the two organizations come together to supply items for people in need. Since the beginning of the pandemic, that need has continued to grow and more people have sought assistance from the organization. 

Alamin Muhammad, founder of We Rise Above the Streets Outreach started a pantry in March once the pandemic began. The pantry has been successful throughout the pandemic and has fed hundreds of people in the Syracuse area. 

“Working people, who have been successfully working for years, don’t know how to come to a pantry, they don’t know how to ask for food. So this is my job, to make them feel comfortable and make sure they don’t feel lesser than when they came in” said Muhammad. 

Due to the increasing number of positive cases in Onondaga County, the places people would normally seek food and shelter have been closed or at capacity. Eddie Mitchell, founder of Team A.N.G.E.L has lived in Syracuse, New York his entire life. Seeing his community struggle wasn’t something he could stand by and watch so he created the organization. 

“We are in a pandemic and everyone is struggling. Everyone doesn’t have the means to have a Thanksgiving, everyone can’t go visit their families, the shelters are closed, things are closed. So it’s a big thing to give people something to eat” said Mitchell.

Rachel May, Senator for New York’s 53rd District supplied hand sanitizer and masks to distribute at the Thanksgiving dinner. With unemployment benefits running out, hundreds of people have applied for rent relief and the state expects to see more people getting evicted. 

“At least at the state level, we’re going to be talking about rent release, we are certainly advocating with the Federal government to come through with support for the state and local government and payments people were getting before,” said May.

As a community, people are able to donate, volunteer, or mentor to get involved in helping the homeless and working poor through the pandemic. We Rise Above The Streets Outreach and Team A.N.G.E.L have more information that can be found on their website. 

 

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