New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani visited the National Action Network in Harlem to help distribute Thanksgiving meals with Rev. Al Sharpton, New York Attorney General Letitia James and other community members Thursday. 

“Most of all, I’m thankful and I am grateful that in a little more than a month City Hall will focus its power on a mission that has too long escaped its attention — making a dignified, affordable life in New York a reality for every person who calls this city home,” Mamdani said. 

“Thanksgiving is a time for giving, it’s a time for us to celebrate family,” said Rev. Sharpton. “Many who come today come from homeless shelters, but many are seniors who just don’t have people that they have a Thanksgiving dinner with.”

The holiday season kicked off Thursday across New York City, from the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to various food giveaways. 

Bowery Mission feeding New Yorkers for nearly 150 years

The Bowery Mission has been providing warm meals to hungry New Yorkers for more than a century. This is the organization’s 146th Thanksgiving. 

The meals come with turkey and the fixings, including a slice of homemade pie. 

“I love it, the church is always doing great things every week,” one visitor said. 

“It’s lovely, it’s great, they do it every year, and that’s a wonderful thing. They’re helping a lot of people,” said another. 

The Bowery Mission said it expected to serve as many as 1,500 meals at its Bowery location alone. It also has other locations in Harlem and Tribeca.

“The holidays, it doesn’t matter who you are, what’s going on in your life, you deserve to have a place at the table where you’re welcome,” said Bowery Mission Chief Development Officer Karl Chan.