Thanksgiving Food Giveaway For Newark Families In Need – Patch

NEWARK, NJ — Essex County will hold a special Thanksgiving emergency food distribution event in Newark on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

According to county officials, the event is being held to help families negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The program is meant to benefit families who have been forced out of work and are not able to afford food.

There will be 1,500 frozen turkeys and boxes of non-perishable food available at the event, which will take place at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center at Branch Brook Park in Newark at 9 a.m.

County officials said:

“Residents driving to Branch Brook Park should enter the park via the Heller Parkway entrance or more southern entrances. Cars entering from Mill Street or other northern entrances will not be allowed to make a left turn into the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center parking lot. Residents walking to the site should come to a walk-up location in the Cherry Blossom Center parking lot. Residents walking to the site must wear a face mask/covering and follow social distancing guidelines. It is recommended that residents walking to the site bring a cart. Residents who are driving or walking are asked to not arrive to the site until 8 a.m. This is being done to allow for normal traffic flow through the area and prevent any traffic back-ups from being created. Residents will receive a frozen turkey and an emergency food box that contains food items served during a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Only one emergency food box will be placed into a vehicle’s trunk or given to each resident who walks to the site. Buses will not be allowed to enter.”

Another food distribution event is scheduled to take place in West Orange on Thursday, Nov. 18.

“Unfortunately, food insecurity remains an issue that many Essex County residents continue to face,” said Wayne Richardson, president of the county commissioner board.

“Our weekly food distribution events were very successful in providing relief during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic through the Spring of 2021, and I applaud the county executive and our county leadership for taking the steps to coordinate two distribution events for our residents in need prior to Thanksgiving,” Richardson said.