The Drexel University Alumni Association’s Alumni Holiday Turkey Project celebrated a major milestone this past December – 40 years of lending a helping hand to families in need in the University’s West Philadelphia neighborhood and to those served by Drexel’s 11th Street Family Health Services Center in North Philadelphia by providing an important holiday meal staple: turkeys.
In honor of the project’s 40th anniversary, the Alumni Association set a lofty goal to raise $20,000. Contributions from alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University surpassed the goal and the Association collected the highest amount ever raised in a single year for the Turkey Project: $20,675. The generous donations funded the purchase of 1,030 frozen turkeys.
Friday, Dec. 20, was turkey distribution day and the Alumni Association welcomed 118 alumni, faculty and staff volunteers to the Paul Peck Alumni Center for a festive morning celebrating this long-standing holiday tradition.
“My thanks go to the Alumni Association for providing alumni the opportunity to give to the community and to be a part of the giving,” said Helene Engel ’90. “It was a great experience being there to help with the turkey distribution.”
Long-time turkey project supporter and Drexel alum Fred Ulmer ’57 said, “My favorite part is the camaraderie of the large group that comes together to help. The list of people who need these turkeys goes on and on and these folks are Drexel’s neighbors, so as an alumnus this is something I’m happy to do.”
“I wish to convey my heartfelt thanks to my alma mater, Drexel University, for the work that you continue to do through the Drexel Alumni Turkey Project to help alleviate hunger,” said Rev. Carlton E. Rodgers ’77, pastor of Tabernacle Lutheran Church in West Philadelphia, one of 33 community organizations that benefit from the turkey project. “Our church has been a recipient of turkeys for the past three years, and we have been able to assist more than 75 families with a holiday dinner basket as a result.”
Shirley Pickens, youth and outreach coordinator for the 18th District Community Town Watch, added, “Our organization has participated in the turkey project for many years and the community has greatly benefited. Each year the need of the families in our community has grown and we have been blessed with Drexel’s help to be able to provide a small token of true holiday cheer. As one of our community members said when we gave him his turkey, ‘Thank God someone remembered me.’”
Bishop Andrew J. Ford II, presiding bishop and senior pastor at Ford Memorial Temple Inc., said, “Our food pantry, along with the donations from the Turkey Project, feeds 50 families during the holiday season. The needs of our communities are great and it’s a blessing to know that we’ve had the Alumni Association’s support throughout the years.”
“Through the Turkey Project, the Alumni Association has been privileged to serve its Philadelphia neighbors for the past four decades,” said Cristina Geso, associate vice president of Alumni Relations. “Thank you to everyone who supported the Turkey Project this year. Whether you made a donation, or helped to distribute turkeys to the community organizations, your generosity was appreciated by many.”
The Turkey Project will be be back again in December 2014 for its 41st year, although gifts can be made to the project year-round. To make a donation and to see photographs from the turkey distribution, visit drexel.edu/alumni/turkey_project.asp.