WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Several local organizations teamed up Saturday to hand out a thousand turkeys to Medicaid recipients at the JB Wise Pavilion.
“I just love that the Urban Mission is doing this,” said Medicaid Recipient Elizabeth Hardy. “There’s just a lot of people in need right now. People just don’t have the money to buy groceries and stuff because everything is going up.”
Several organizations, including the Urban Mission, Healthy Alliance, and Modify Health, helped organize the event, as workers from each volunteered.
“We are here to improve health and remove barriers from communities that face difficult situations,” said Healthy Alliance CEO Erica Coletti.
Initially, five hundred turkeys were to be given away but, Samaritan Medical Center matched the initial donation, bringing the total up to a thousand.
It’s a good thing too. Modify Health CEO G.B. Pratt, who helped organize the event, told us the turnout was even higher than expected.
“When we say an event starts at 10 and we see a line that is queued up at 7:30 to 8am, I think it certainly shows the need and enthusiasm,” said Pratt. “It’s just been a complete honor and we’re thrilled with the turnout.”
Putting a turkey on the table wasn’t the only goal. Modify health also sought to make folks aware of certain Medicaid benefits they may not have known they qualified for.
“So we can connect them with free food, housing support, help finding housing, keeping housing, utility assistance,” said Jen Lane, Senior Vice President of Healthcare Partnerships at Modify Health. “There’s just this plethora of benefits available through the HRSN Program, it’s not well known. We’re trying to help people, get them out of their house, and see what we can do for them.”
The giveaway continued until every turkey was taken home, just in time for the holiday.
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