Thanksgiving is just one day away, and many people are gearing up with mixed emotions. After a highly charged election season, Thanksgiving turkey giveaways in Miami-Dade highlighted the power of community support and gratitude. Across the county, hundreds of families experienced the warmth of holiday generosity as organizations and community leaders worked to offer not just food, but a sense of unity in an era of political division and rising stress.
Gwen Cherry Park
On Saturday, Nov. 23, at Gwen Cherry Park in Miami’s Gladeview neighborhood, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Marleine Bastien helped organize a turkey giveaway with free healthcare testing, music, and prizes. Hosted in partnership with radio station 103.5 the Beat with Papa Keith, Just Vote Period and HealthyMD, the giveaway marked the fourth event in Bastien’s district that day, aiming to support struggling families.
“We’re providing turkeys and groceries to families who are going through hardships,” Bastien said. “Times are tough. It’s important to be there for each other in these moments.”
For Bastien, this Thanksgiving was more than just an opportunity to give back; it was a chance for people to come together after a particularly grueling election season.
“It’s a season of gratitude,” she reflected. “But it’s also a season of grieving. Some are celebrating, and some are grieving. But it’s a time to show gratitude and give.”
The event had a significant turnout. Police officers ensured the safety of those in attendance, while volunteers from the St. Thomas Aquinas boys basketball team helped distribute food and turkeys to needy families. Bastien, who has worked to create opportunities for community unity, couldn’t help but be moved by the kindness she witnessed.
"I’ve seen people help each other in small ways — whether it’s carrying a turkey for an elderly neighbor or sharing a little bit of patience with others," she said. "People care, even though when we're looking at the political landscape, people will think that others are too cynical to show greatness and goodness, but they are proving us wrong all the time.”
Bastien is also sponsoring the city of Homestead’s 18th Annual Haitian Thanksgiving Brunch at the Phicol Williams Community Center on Thanksgiving day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Linking health and holiday cheer
However, turkeys weren’t the only gifts given away. HealthyMD, a Black-owned healthcare company founded in 2014, partnered with the event to provide free health screenings. HealthyMD aims to tackle health inequity by offering affordable treatment and mental health support to underserved communities. The organization’s mobile clinics travel throughout Florida and Georgia to provide free healthcare.
At the Gwen Cherry Park giveaway, HealthyMD set up two trucks — one from its nonprofit arm and another from its for-profit side — offering everything from HIV and STD tests to hepatitis C screenings.
“We give away $1 million worth of free healthcare every month,” said Clifford W. Knights II, co-CEO and co-founder of HealthyMD. “So during the give-back season, we do a little more by giving away food, toys, clothes, shoes.”
For many, receiving a turkey and groceries for Thanksgiving was a lifeline, especially for families facing economic hardship. Around 300 turkeys and essential items were distributed.
“We take care of their medical and holistic health services, but what better way to provide for your physiological needs as well?” said Dr. Kishma Victor, HealthyMD’s president and chief clinical officer. “Providing you with a meal, breaking bread with you during the holidays — that's wonderful.”
Since its inception, HealthyMD has helped more than 50,000 patients, opened nearly a dozen clinics, launched a telemedicine practice, and operated mobile units serving overlooked populations.
Extending care down south
Meanwhile, in south Miami-Dade, the seniors of West Perrine were gearing up for their own Thanksgiving giveaway, organized by Romania Dukes, founder of Mothers Fighting for Justice. Dukes has hosted an annual turkey giveaway each year for nearly a decade to support seniors, especially those in communities impacted by gun violence.
“It started after the death of my son,” Dukes said. “I wanted to make sure that seniors in our communities, especially those affected by gun violence, felt seen and supported. These communities are often home to people who have been through trauma, and we can’t forget about them.”
Dukes partners with local law enforcement, volunteers and sponsors each year to distribute care packages to seniors in areas with high crime rates. During these visits, Dukes’ team provides not only food but essential supplies like medications, blankets, toiletries, and comfort foods.
She has a mantra that she repeats to herself daily throughout her journey to help the community: "There’s no expiration date on our pain.”
“We take them canned goods, soup, even things like cough syrup — basic necessities that many of us take for granted,” Dukes explained. “For Thanksgiving, we make sure they don’t have to worry about cooking. We fill up baskets with everything they need — turkey, collard greens, candied yams, rice, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, and all the traditional items they love.”
This year, due to rising concerns about safety in the area, the location of the giveaway shifted. Dukes and her team relocated the seniors to a hotel to ensure they wouldn’t be caught in the crossfire of local gun violence. They distributed meals not only in West Perrine but also in surrounding areas like Goulds, Florida City, and Naranja, providing more than 100 families with Thanksgiving meals.
Margo Jester, 63, expressed her gratitude for the support she received from Dukes’ organization.
“It’s a blessing,” she said. “She gave us everything we need to have a Thanksgiving dinner.”
Dukes believes coming together as a community is even more crucial this year following a deeply divisive election season.
“This election year really played a major role on a lot of things, especially in Black and brown communities,” she said. “But it’s so important that we all push through it, get through it, and come together.”
She calls for a return to the sense of community that once defined the county’s neighborhoods.
“When I was growing up, it was never a problem with my grandmother knocking on the neighbor’s door for sugar,” she recalled. “But we don’t have that love and care for one another anymore. We must bring that back. We have to stop the division.”
This story was produced by The Miami Times, one of the oldest Black-owned newspapers in the country, as part of a content sharing partnership with the WLRN newsroom. Read more at miamitimesonline.com.
