A Lansing furniture store turned Saturday into a day of giving, distributing 200 free turkeys to community members just days before Thanksgiving.
- Best Furniture Outlet in Lansing gave away 200 free turkeys to community members on Saturday.
- CEO Ehab Awad hopes the giveaway will inspire other local businesses to give back.
- Recipients expressed gratitude, with one family planning their first home-cooked Thanksgiving.
Best Furniture Outlet in Lansing saw lines form within minutes as neighbors gathered to receive the donated turkeys. The giveaway drew families looking to complete their holiday meals and highlighted the power of local businesses supporting their communities.
"I think this is absolutely fantastic that these guys are doing this," said Erica Mawhorter, who waited in line for a turkey. "It's just wonderful that they think of the community. They don't have to, they're businessmen."
For Renee Kouyate, the turkey represents more than just a meal centerpiece.
"It is a true blessing, because now, me and my family will have a turkey to have for our Thanksgiving dinner, along with a wonderful meal that we're gonna have," Kouyate said.
Ehab Awad, CEO of Best Furniture Outlet, said the turkey giveaway serves a larger purpose beyond helping individual families.
"The main goal also is to motivate more business owners, more local establishments in the city of Lansing," Awad said. "Which is, if we can do it, I'm pretty sure many corporations in our community can do it as well."
Delta Township Supervisor Fonda Brewer emphasized that Thanksgiving extends far beyond the food itself.
"It's the love and the heart that's put into it, it's those secret recipes that are all pulled together, it's everybody in the kitchen, it's people bringing a dish to serve," Brewer said. "All of that matters. And don't we need it at this time? We need this unity right now."
For Kouyate, this Thanksgiving will mark a special milestone for her family.
"This will be a first Thanksgiving that my 19-year-old son is gonna cook for us," Kouyate said. "He wanted to make a very first Thanksgiving for us in our home on our new, actually we just got a kitchen table. So he wanted to make a big Thanksgiving dinner this year for us."
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