Green Acres Mall giveaway provides 1,000 turkeys for Valley Stream and nearby communities

Posted Friday, November 28, 2025 12:12 pm

Key partners from elected offices, community organizations, law enforcement and Green Acres Mall came together to celebrate the successful turkey giveaway and the collaborative effort behind it.

Eric Donaldson/Herald photos

Jill Bromberg, Community Relations Manager at Green Acres, addressed attendees with remarks highlighting the mall’s commitment to supporting local families during the holiday season.

Thomas McAleer, Director of Business and Economic Development for the Village of Valley Stream, Valley Stream Mayor Ed Fare and State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick handed off turkeys to community partners for distribution.

Volunteers and organizers worked efficiently to load frozen turkeys onto vehicles, ensuring timely delivery to families throughout the community.

By Angelina Zingariello

The annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway at Green Acres Mall is one of Long Island’s largest single-day turkey distributions, involving a coalition of elected officials, community organizations and local law enforcement.

This long-standing tradition, now in its tenth year, reflects the mall’s ongoing commitment to supporting the community year-round.

The event successfully distributed 1,000 on Nov. 19 and included traditional, kosher and halal turkeys. Frozen turkeys were delivered to the mall and immediately picked up by partner offices and organizations for same-day distribution, as turkeys could not be stored on-site. This system ensured all turkeys reached pre-identified households through scheduled handouts rather than a first-come, first-served basis or walk-up distribution at the mall.

More than a dozen elected officials supported the effort, including State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Assembly members Michaelle Solages, Judy Griffin, and Ari Brown, Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips, County Legislator Carrié Solages, Town of Hempstead Council members Melissa Miller and Laura Ryder, Valley Stream Mayor Ed Fare, and village trustees. Over 20 community and civic organizations participated as well, such as the JCC of the Greater Five Towns Food Pantry, Kosher Response led by Gabriel Boxer, the Mill Brook Civic Association, and officers from the 4th and 5th precincts of the Nassau County Police Department.

“The Green Acres Gives Back Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway is a shining example of how our community comes together with compassion and purpose,” Assemblywoman Solages said. “During this season of gratitude, I’m proud to stand with Green Acres and our local partners to ensure families across Elmont, Valley Stream and surrounding neighborhoods can celebrate Thanksgiving with warmth, dignity and hope.”

Volunteers and staff coordinated the logistics required to unload the frozen turkeys from delivery trucks and transport them to families, ensuring a smooth distribution. This event is part of Green Acres and Macerich’s ongoing commitment to addressing food insecurity and supporting local families during the holiday season by helping them share a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

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