Photo by Tom Jenz
Thanksgiving Feast 2024
Thanksgiving Feast 2024
You might live in Mequon or Cedarburg or in a Downtown condo. You celebrated your 2024 Thanksgiving around a large dinner table with relatives and close friends, eating a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. You shared laughter and old family stories. You felt connected, even loved. You watched a movie or played board games or touch football with your family guests. It felt good to be connected.
Further west, Dream Team United, a coalition of Black volunteers, sponsored the 6th annual Thanksgiving Community Feast along with Alderman Russell Stamper and the Embassy Center MKE church on Sherman Boulevard. The venue took place on a vacant lot at 35th and Center, the heart of the inner city.
The temperature shivered below freezing. Along Center Street, stood a wide white tent with a long table lined with servers serving roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, vegetables, and desserts. A hundred people formed a line snaking along the sidewalk, moving cafeteria style through the tent for their free dinners. Diners carried away their meals in clamshell boxes.
Outside stood tables piled with donated coats, hats, gloves and socks. Grateful recipients carried off their winter clothes in cardboard boxes. Nearby, a small tent held a deejay spinning music. Moods were mellow, expressions hopeful, and there was dancing.
Before the meals were served, volunteers gathered for prayers and Amens for neighborhood residents who had lost their lives to violence in the last two years.
I spoke to several African Americans attending the feast. I was interested in their feelings on this traditional holiday.
Farina Brooks Founder and Executive Director of Dream Team United.
We’ve been doing this Thanksgiving feast for six years. Back then, I was given a vision to feed the people on Thanksgiving Day. We put on this event for people who might not have family or who are going through difficulties or who feel depressed. We also have a team that picks up and delivers meals to people who are housebound and cannot make it there in person.
Shelita Furlow Furlow and her husband catered the entire event, prepared the hot and cold food
I cooked all the food with the help of my husband. We call ourselves, Taste of Love Catering. We have a commercial kitchen, and we did all today’s prep work there last night. This afternoon, we will serve 200 to 250 people. We also delivered 55 meals to shut-ins and residents who cannot make it here.
Sequanna Taylor Newly elected State Representative for inner city District 11, county board member and vice president of Dream Team United
We do this event every Thanksgiving because we think everybody deserves to have a hot meal. We make sure no one has to sit home alone, and no one has to feel unloved. We give our love back to the community. I am thankful for life, for family, for the Dream Team, and I’m thankful for you, Tom.
Leena and Leean Le Ethnic Vietnamese twins, and young women volunteers for many events in the Black community. I spoke with them as they served food
Today, we are volunteering to be servers. We have fried turkey, roasted turkey, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, and dessert. On this Thanksgiving Day, we are thankful for family and for being able to serve communities in need.
Jeremiah Thompson Community Organizer
I am here today to support Dream Team United. I love helping out wherever I can. I represent The Cage, Community Agriculture Growing Experience. We grow food and grow community. We work with neighborhood youth and African American men. We also do restorative justice, helping people change from what they did bad into doing good. New driver’s license, new job, new life. Every holiday, we try to help out at events.
Deejay B-Low Spins the background music. Keyboard player for the The Next Level Band
I helped my wife, Shelita, prepare all the meals today. We are Taste of Love Catering. With our food and music, I think this is the best way to make people happy. I am thankful for the opportunity to give back because it allows me to see how blessed I am. I’m thankful to not take things for granted. I am also thankful for my family, wife, sons and grand babies.
Taylor Jennings Eight-year old girl
I came here because I wanted to help the homeless people. I gave them passes so they can go grocery shopping. I am thankful for everything and everyone.
Tilaina Taylor Adult cousin of Taylor Jennings
I am here to support my church family and my Dream Team family. Embassy Center is our church. It is located on Sherman Boulevard. We gave donations here. I love to serve. When I can’t serve with my money. I serve with my time.
Dashal Young Volunteer to help people with substance abuse
We are handing out drug deactivation equipment for those to dispose of their prescription medicines. It’s wonderful to be here. I was born and raised in Milwaukee, bachelor and master’s degrees from Marquette. I work for Wisconsin Community Services. We take care of individuals throughout southeastern Wisconsin. We try to care for the residents in this neighborhood.
Alderman Russell Stamper representing the inner city 15th District and sponsor of this Thanksgiving Feast
I was born and raised in my district, lived in different neighborhoods, went to Riverside High School and graduated from Messmer High School in 1994. I have been Alderman of the 15th District for 10 years. I love my people, and I am blessed to partner with Dream Team United who every year puts on this event. The team works hard, and I try to give them what they want. I am very thankful today. I woke up this morning and thanked God for my many blessings—my family, my health, my parents, and for being a community leader. I look on everyday as a miracle.
