Turkeys given away in Watertown as part of state program

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Watertown’s Urban Mission gave away 100 turkeys Tuesday ahead of Thanksgiving.

It was part of the Nourish New York program, which was signed into law over the weekend by Governor Kathy Hochul.

Local officials handed out the turkeys and some desserts too.

Mission Executive Director Dawn Cole says the extra turkeys are crucial this year.

“The price of turkeys has been, you know, higher than normal, which has led to fewer donations of incoming turkeys. So, we weren’t able to help very many families,” she said.

A number of local leaders were at the event to help hand out turkeys. State Department of Transportation Assistant Commissioner Sean Hennessey said he was happy to see the effort.

“Thanksgiving is all about giving back and remembering family, so this is a great time for us to be able to give back to the community that has given so much to us,” he said.

The state distributed 3,200 turkeys across the state through the Nourish New York program.

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