Thanksgiving in New York City is many things — parade floats, marching bands, tourists and tradition — but on 145th Street, stretching half a block outside the National Action Network headquarters, New Yorkers waited patiently for a hot meal, fellowship, and the warmth of community. Inside, volunteers moved with practiced rhythm as plates filled with turkey and sides reached hundreds of neighbors, from Harlem to the Bronx.
The annual dinner, hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton, drew familiar names and new leadership. State Attorney General Letitia James and filmmaker Spike Lee stood shoulder-to-shoulder with residents, while Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani joined the effort for the first time. For many in the line, returning year after year is more than routine — it is ritual.
Ernest Waters traveled from the Bronx, explaining to ABC News, “This is for a lot of senior citizens and a lot of people that don’t have nowhere to go, because sometimes the families don’t take care of the elderly when they get elderly… when you get up in age, you are forgotten. And when you get disabled, you are forgotten.”…