Brooklyn grandma helps make Thanksgiving meals for hundreds in need

<p>It started as a lesson for her grandchildren on being grateful. Now this East Flatbush woman helps to make holiday meals for hundreds in need.</p>

News 12 Staff

Nov 19, 2017, 11:35 PM

Updated 2,349 days ago

Share:

For more than 10 years, an East Flatbush woman has been cooking Thanksgiving dinners from her kitchen to feed the homeless. Now, with the help of others in the community, she's helping to serve hundreds of people in need.
Anne-Marie Williams is leading the charge as 400 meals are prepared for 400 people who don't have a place to call home for the holidays.
Williams cooked up the idea back in 2001 as a way to teach her grandchildren about being grateful.
"I said, 'We are not celebrating Thanksgiving, we are going to cook and go on the streets and feed the people on the streets,'" she says.
The operation has grown each year. Now, dozens of neighbors come from near and far, many of them children, to chip in, pack up food that's been cooked with love, and box it up. The meals are delivered to nearby homeless shelters.
Many of the young volunteers know Williams as "Grandma."


More from News 12
Mother and daughter from Mount Vernon sentenced in pandemic-relief fraud scheme

Mother and daughter from Mount Vernon sentenced in pandemic-relief fraud scheme

2:10
Late-day showers for Saturday in the Hudson Valley; chance of thunderstorm for Sunday

Late-day showers for Saturday in the Hudson Valley; chance of thunderstorm for Sunday

1:53
Officials call for no-show Orange County legislator to step down after missing meetings for two years

Officials call for no-show Orange County legislator to step down after missing meetings for two years

1:53
Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

0:34
Yonkers police: Man wanted for failing to appear in court for car break-in charges

Yonkers police: Man wanted for failing to appear in court for car break-in charges

1:57
White Plains dispensary pays it forward, spends green on legal help

White Plains dispensary pays it forward, spends green on legal help

0:49
Gov. Hochul signs $10 million literacy plan into law

Gov. Hochul signs $10 million literacy plan into law

0:28
Yonkers hip-hop legend Mary J. Blige, Pepsi team up to help women in the city

Yonkers hip-hop legend Mary J. Blige, Pepsi team up to help women in the city

0:32
Kingston man charged in barbershop stabbing

Kingston man charged in barbershop stabbing

2:13
MTA outlines new details on congestion pricing, including start date

MTA outlines new details on congestion pricing, including start date

2:04
Movie theater experience: A close look at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville

Movie theater experience: A close look at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville

1:35
 White Plains community memorializes impactful couple as part of 41st Arbor Day celebration

White Plains community memorializes impactful couple as part of 41st Arbor Day celebration

0:21
Funeral held for Westchester correction officer killed in Scarsdale motorcycle crash

Funeral held for Westchester correction officer killed in Scarsdale motorcycle crash

0:31
Police: 18-year-old Washingtonville man with autism has gone missing

Police: 18-year-old Washingtonville man with autism has gone missing

0:23
New Korean-style fried chicken restaurant opens in Mahopac

New Korean-style fried chicken restaurant opens in Mahopac

2:16
New Rochelle teacher receives birthday surprise from students, colleagues

New Rochelle teacher receives birthday surprise from students, colleagues

1:23
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Irvington during President Biden's visits to Westchester

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Irvington during President Biden's visits to Westchester

0:26
Hudson Valley communities receive bronze Climate Smart Certification

Hudson Valley communities receive bronze Climate Smart Certification

0:23
Rockland County sues New York state over when elections can be held

Rockland County sues New York state over when elections can be held

0:21
Greenwood Lake Board of Trustees appoints interim mayor

Greenwood Lake Board of Trustees appoints interim mayor