Yonkers Stew Leonard’s store director Andrew Hollis spends a few minutes visiting with Dr. R.B. Farley, founder of Veterans Are Still Warriors, Inc. Farley was there to pick up turkeys for his organization and a local church.
Stew Leonard’s Store Director Andrew Hollis welcomes around 100 volunteers who were on hand to hand out 300 turkeys to not-for-profits in Yonkers. New York State Senator and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, left wearing a scarf, and Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, Yonkers City Council president, were also there handing out turkeys.
As part of one of eight stores participating in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the Yonkers Stew Leonard’s handout 300 turkeys to around 30 not-for-profit organizations. Taking their usual spot as first in line was Dr. R.B Farley and Marovna Bowen of Veterans Are Still Warriors Inc. It was founded in 2010 by Farley, who was there to pick up 10 turkeys for the veterans organization and 10 for a local church.
“I can’t tell you what it means every year to be able to come here and get turkeys for those who don’t have enough,” Farley said of the Stew Leonard’s Turkey Brigade, which is celebrating its 46th year. He added that he began the paperwork to request turkeys back in March. “It is a true blessing. Every time I come to Stew Leonard’s everyone is smiling and so pleasant.”
Farley was joined in the line by Stew Leonard’s family member Andrew Hollis, who is store director at the Yonkers location. He greeted Farley with a wave from across the parking lot before walking to Farley’s Jeep. The two chatted briefly before Hollis continued arranging for the parade of automobiles that had begun lining up an hour early for the annual Turkey Brigade, which is hosted in Paramus and Clifton, N.J.; Farmingdale and East Meadow, N.Y.; and Norwalk, Newington and Danbury, Conn. In all, they handed out 3,000 turkeys.
“This is always a special day,” says Hollis, who has worked at the Yonkers store for 18 years. “We’re giving out three thousand turkeys and that will feed over fifteen thousand. My grandfather started this store in 1969 and in 1979 he decided to fill up his car with turkeys and take them to food banks to try and help people in need. I am really proud of our family still doing it and the number of people we help, and hope we will do it forever.”
Between the Yonkers Fire Department and Police Department, there were about 70 officers volunteering their time to help the event go smoothly. Around 20 members of the Stew Leonard’s team also were on site counting out turkeys and checking lists to make sure every auto got enough turkeys. In addition, the dignitaries on site included New York State Senate leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Yonkers City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza and Yonkers Deputy Chief Chris Canfield.
“A grateful community is thankful that your family is making sure as many people as possible are being fed is a family legacy and we want to thank your family for that,” Stewart-Cousins said. “During times like this, we need more and more people to step up and we thank you very, very much.”
Organized and efficient, everyone made quick work of the distribution and they were able to get done before any real rain could set in.
