UWS Open Hearts + BP Gale Brewer Celebrate Bittersweet Thanksgiving with Lucerne Residents + Others

NEW YORK, NY (11/26/2020) (readMedia)-- Yesterday, Judge Debra James ruled that the court cannot block the city's plans to move the men of the Lucerne downtown, on the procedural grounds that shelter residents are required to seek legal remedy for transfers only once they have been moved. Despite this blow, Upper West Side Open Hearts and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will hand out 400 individual Thanksgiving meals to the residents of the Lucerne and others experiencing homelessness. Goddard Riverside -- an UWS nonprofit that also provides jobs to Lucerne residents -- will supply freshly prepared Thanksgiving meals in lieu of their traditional sit-down community dinner.

Event will be held rain or shine. Meals will be handed out under awnings in case of rain.

UWS Open Hearts also planned multiple other socially distanced Thanksgiving events to help ease this difficult time of year for those with estranged family relationships, starting in the morning with grab-and-go coffee and donuts at The Belleclaire, followed by a spiritual walk and talk where shelter residents can commune with local faith leaders. After the Thanksgiving meal distribution, there will be another spiritual walk and talk, and a volunteer-led AA meeting. The events will take on a bittersweet tone with the possibility that Lucerne residents will be displaced looming.