Thanksgiving is upon us! A time for families and friends to come together, sit at the table and share the harvest of nature’s bounty. Unfortunately, that is not so for many families as they face daily challenges and financial struggles. But, thanks to the hardworking staff and volunteers of Community Enhancement Collaboration (CEC), many of those less fortunate were fed a Thanksgiving feast this past Saturday at the CEC’s Third Annual Holiday Food Distribution.
“There are many families that don’t have enough food and we want to help them,” said Nadine McCrea, founder and president of the CEC. Aside from the annual Thanksgiving event, Nadine runs a food pantry and a soup kitchen open 5 days a week that provides complete meals. Nadine and the CEC have been actively helping families in the Washington Park community for years, and November 21 was no exception.
This year’s festivities fed about 2,000 turkeys to families who are experiencing challenging circumstances – complete with entertainment and all the trimmins! Event Chairperson, Josh Levy, said, “I believe it is important to help people. This is a way to make sure that families have food for Thanksgiving.”
Express the Arts, a group from McArthur High School, provided lively entertainment as folks enjoyed butterballs, stuffing and lots of love in their tummies. According to Shelly Constantine, a volunteer who helps run Express the Arts, the crowd enjoyed ‘step dancing, singing and dancing.’
Also on board were members of the Elite Dynamic Brilliant Talented Entertainment, and Sandra Miller and Cynthia Iorio-Butler of the Hollywood Women’s Club. “We want to help people in the community,” said Sandra.
The event was held at the Washington Park Community Center and was upbeat, fun and a wonderful opportunity to spend time with one other and uplift the community.
If you would like to help Nadine and the folks at CEC, you can visit their website at http://cecwashpark.org/ or call (954) 987-0625.
Photos by David Volz
Posted by Hollywood Gazette on Tuesday, November 24, 2015