Milwaukee – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said “life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?”. In November the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center and the We Care Crew will be answering that question with the “Make a Family Smile Turkey Drive”.
On Tuesday, November 24th the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center and the We Care Crew will host a drive through COVID-safe turkey drive at the Ling Community Center to provide turkeys and winter resources to families, with a goal of serving 1,500 families.
The Thanksgiving event at the King Community Center began nine years ago, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center Manager, Dee McCollum bought 10 baskets filled with holiday foods and other items using her own money. Serving as a member of the Diversity Committee of Milwaukee County, Dee was able to spearhead efforts to grow the event, and over the past decade, the King Center has served over 5000 families with a Thanksgiving meal. The last couple of years, Dee partnered with Elizabeth Coggs and began serving a complete sit-down thanksgiving meal the Tuesday before thanksgiving for families to enjoy prior to picking up their turkey. Elizabeth took on the task of cooking all the food for over 1000 people.
Due to COVID-19 this year’s event will not include a sit-down dinner, but families in need will still be able to receive a donated turkey for their family meal, as well as the resource kits, at a drive-thru event on November 24, from 10:00am until supplies run out.
For details, visit www.wecarecrewmke.com and download the Turkey Drive Flyer.
The We Care Crew is a collaborative initiative to provide care and assistance for those hardest hit by COVID-19. The We Care Crew encompasses the partnership of Milwaukee County’s Office of African American Affairs (OAAA), Department of Health & Human Services (DAS), Milwaukee County Parks, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), City of Milwaukee Health Department & Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), 414Life, the PEAK Initiative, and other community partners.
The King Advisory Inc. is a 501(3)c non-profit that provides programming through its partnership with the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center opened in 1979 in King Park and is operated by Milwaukee County Parks. The community center has been closed to the public since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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