Sitting next to a post at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center in south central Los Angeles, Enrique Macías, 62, was sad because he did not receive one of the 1,000 turkeys distributed by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Brotherhood Crusade and the 5050 Foundation from outfielder and shortstop Markus Lynn “Mookie” Betts, of the MLB world champions, Los Angeles Dodgers.
Enrique Macías’s face reflected sadness, like his friend Francisco de la Cruz, 80 years old.
Both spoke and adopted an attitude of resignation.
“”One can endure hunger,” said Mr. Enrique, originally from León, Guanajuato.
“If there were beans I could spend Thanksgiving Day comfortably,” added Francisco, born in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Both had arrived at 8:00 a.m. at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center, but never lined up in the line assigned to people arriving on foot for the distribution of bags of food, Christmas toys and free gift cards.
In that row they had 75 turkeys that literally “flew.” The rest was distributed among those who arrived in their cars. Neither Mr. Enrique nor his friend have a car.
Fighting food shortages
In the Vermont Vista neighborhood of south central Los Angeles, three-time World Series champion Mookie Betts handed out dozens of turkeys to people.
As part of the 50 Feeds LA campaign, Mookie and Brianna Betts’ 5050 Foundation has partnered with the Dodgers Foundation to donate $100,000 to support Brotherhood Crusade’s efforts against food insecurity, providing 400,000 meals to families in South Los Angeles this year.
Since 2020, in these solidarity efforts with society’s neediest, the Los Angeles Fire Department has also partnered with the 50/50 Foundation to provide more than $550,000 to Brotherhood Crusade, specifically focusing on food insecurity efforts in south central Los Angeles.
“This event makes us feel the impact of what we are doing through the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation,” the organization’s executive director, Nichol Whiteman, told La Opinión.
“We are proud to see the smiles on the faces of residents in South Los Angeles,” he added. “That is our ultimate goal.”
The mission of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation is to address Los Angeles’ most pressing issues, which are amplified during people’s vacation times.
“People are experiencing difficult things in their economies during this period that may not allow them to have the same joy as others,” Whiteman stressed.
“So we want to make sure people have what they need these days,” he added. “The contribution of turkeys, meals, sides and gift cards is really to ensure that all of these amazing families who have come can enjoy next week [Día de Acción de Gracias]”.
In his father’s footsteps
When Danny Bakewell retired in 2005, leadership of the Brotherhood Crusade was entrusted to Bremond’s daughter, Charisse Bremond Weaver.
Under her leadership, the Brotherhood Crusade, which has a 56-year history, has made steady progress in achieving its mission and goals, and, following in the “footprints” of her father, Walter Bremond, Charisse Bremond Weaver became the first female president. and executive director.
In addition to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, the Mookie Betts 50/50 Foundation, the Southern California Gas Foundation (SocalGas), the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Carpenters Union Local 213 of Los Angeles and the office of City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Charisse Bremond Weaver said she was proud of the altruistic work leading up to Thanksgiving.
“We need to understand the meaning of gratitude,” he said. “Understand when you have the purpose of serving others. How do we do it with care and love? Giving away 1,500 turkeys, all the ingredients needed to cook it, giving away laptops and gift cards to our people.”
The need is great
Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents District 8, said that distributing turkeys to Latino and African-American families was important, “to take the economic burden off them.”
In fact, people lined up in their cars from four miles away at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center.
“The need is much greater,” said Councilman Harris-Dawson. “You do what you can, when you can, where you can, and tomorrow we will wake up and try to do more.”
The public official reflected that, for the Latino and African American working communities, “in general, our economy has never worked well. And this is one of the poorest communities that exist [en el sur centro de Los Ángeles]”.
“But it is also a community where people go to work every day. They work on construction sites, they work in restaurants, cleaning houses. People work very hard in this economy and in my opinion they are not treated fairly, so we have to do things like this [la distribución de comida] to help offset that.’
Ready to cook the turkey
María Ticas, a woman born in San Miguel, El Salvador, left grateful for the food they gave her, including the turkey.
“I thank God for the life and food that we have never lacked,” he said. “Open your eyes and dawn is a blessing.”
Mrs. Ticas announced that she will cook her turkey in the oven, but in the Salvadoran style, since she will have dinner as a family with her husband and her children Paco, Fabrizio and Steven.
Her compatriot Yolanda Zelaya, originally from the Department of La Paz and also resident in the south of Los Angeles, expressed that she was going to be grateful for the health “and the blessing of the food.”
For her part, Mrs. Mary Ortiz, a Salvadoran housewife from Metapán, said that she had arrived at 7:30 am to receive a bag of food and a turkey.
“I am grateful to God because He provides us with the food we need,” she said.
She will share Thanksgiving dinner with her husband, Italí Guzmán, and with Carolina Guerra Rivas, her husband’s niece, and with Wilmer, the woman’s husband.
And, although Mexicans Enrique Macías and his friend Francisco de la Cruz went home without turkey for dinner, Charisse Bremond Weaver, the executive director of Brotherhood Crusade, gave them two $25.00 prepaid cards.
“Something is something,” thanked Mr. Enrique.
“That money is going to help me buy the marketa [despensa] of the week,” Francisco celebrated.
African Americans, Trump and immigrants
“In California we will support our neighbors. Whether they gave you papers or not, you are our neighbor,” said Councilman Maqueece Harris-Dawson, president of the Los Angeles City Council, when asked about President-elect Donald Trump’s threats to deport “millions” of immigrants, many of which attended the Algin Sutton Recreation Center turkey distribution.
“We live together. We work together. We travel together. We play together. We worship together…, we are going to continue doing that,” the councilor declared to La Opinión.
“Let’s close our arms and hold on tight. We will see that the orange boy has arrived [Trump]and I don’t think I can match the energy and spirit of love that we have here in Southern California. And I always say that light drives out darkness, love over hate.”
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance this week to protect immigrants, a policy that would prohibit the use of city resources and personnel to carry out federal immigration enforcement. .
“I am grateful to be able to live in the state of California and that we have elected officials who understand that this is a safe haven for immigration,” said Charisse Bremond Weaver, executive director of Brotherhood Crusade.
“We have to open our hearts and our wallets to ensure that we defend immigrant families over the next four years,” he said.
“Because, because once again, if we don’t take care of our own African American and Latino families we will never be able to move forward and the right thing to do is stand up for our immigrant brothers and sisters.”