The Bowery Mission Invites New Migrants to its Traditional Thanksgiving Celebration

The Bowery Mission is increasing capacity at its iconic Thanksgiving celebration in 2023, inviting new migrants and asylum seekers to join in for a hearty traditional American Thanksgiving meal.

With more than 130,000 new migrants recently moving into New York City, the city continues to grapple with the challenge of homelessness. The Bowery Mission has been welcoming people in need for more than 150 years and is expanding its meal service Thanksgiving Day to welcome more individuals in need.

“The Bowery Mission was itself founded by two immigrants to serve an influx of new migrants living in the Lower East Side, underscoring the incredible potential for newcomers to become catalysts of positive change and community transformation,” said James Winans, President and CEO of The Bowery Mission. “Since the 1870s, we’ve remained a welcoming community for anyone in need of a hot meal, safe shelter, or other critical services.” 

Now in its 144th year, The Bowery Mission’s Thanksgiving is the longest running Thanksgiving community tradition in the city. This year the kitchens will be even busier, preparing to serve more than 1,700 meals to those in need, across its campuses.

“We’re preparing 350 turkeys, 3,500 pounds of potatoes, 1,800 pounds of apple chutney, 1000 pounds of corn succotash, and 200 pounds of stuffing,” said Raffaele DePalma, Executive Chef at The Bowery Mission.

All guests will be invited to enjoy traditional turkey dinners, hot coffee, and homemade pies, and will leave with a practical care kit filled with hygiene items and winter accessories. “Everything is prepared from scratch and with love by our faithful staff, supporters and volunteers,” said Winans. “The Bowery Mission will also host a coat giveaway on December 7 with new coats for our guests, some of whom may be experiencing a New York winter for their very first time.”

This year’s celebration was made possible by the Mission’s individual supporters, corporate and community partners. The Bowery Mission gratefully recognizes the following corporate sponsors for their support: Pura Vida Investments, Pershing Square Capital Management, L.P., Bloomberg Philanthropies, ICAP, Sony Corporation, SmartRise Health, City National Bank, KeyBank, Con Edison, Blessings of Hope, Corner Table Restaurants and Wegmans Food Market.

About The Bowery Mission

Since the 1870s, The Bowery Mission has promoted the flourishing of New Yorkers overcoming homelessness and marginalization. Last year, The Bowery Mission provided more than 320,000 hot meals, 66,000 nights of shelter, 32,000 articles of clothing, and 45,000 emergency showers. Every meal and service is an invitation to a community of care that helps clients make progress toward a transformed life of faith, sobriety, sustainable income and independent living. To empower children to thrive and succeed, The Bowery Mission also offers year-round opportunities for enrichment through Mont Lawn City Camp, culminating in summer camp for hundreds of children in the Poconos Region of Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit www.bowery.org.