By DIANE S. WILLIAMS

A group of charitable Elmhurst Hospital employees organized their 10th annual holiday Turkey Drive raffle drawing to give 140 families a Thanksgiving to remember.

“We sold raffle tickets and gave away a MacBook Air, a flat screen TV, an iPad, and gift cards—things people want–to raise funds to giveaway what families need because without our help these families could not afford a traditional Thanksgiving,” said Melvin Morgan, a Mortuary Technician, who is the Local 420 chapter chair at Elmhurst Hospital.

Morgan is one of four dedicated NYC Health+Hospital workers, who for the last decade have made the Turkey Drive an annual feature at Elmhurst Hospital. They stepped up to give back to some of the neediest families in Queens.

Local 420 members Robert Isaac, the chief shop steward, Darrian McCray and Morgan worked with Christopher Johnson, a plumber at Elmhurst, and the hospital’s team of Social Workers in Local 768, to reach out to families who would benefit most from a grocer’s gift bag that included a turkey and fixings.

“This year we were able to help 140 families, 10 more than last year. Each year the list of those who need help grows,” Morgan said. “Each person at Elmhurst Hospital who brought a raffle ticket contributed to help families in our community who are experiencing hard times have a happier holiday.”

“This is one of the many admirable ways our members show their dedication to their jobs and the community,” said Local 420 President Carmen Charles.

The DC 37 Blog is an official online publication of District Council 37, AFSCME, which represents 121,000 public employees who work in New York City and the surrounding areas.