TI’s annual turkey party kicks off with the help of Atlanta’s finest

Ahead of the holidays, Atlanta hip-hop royalty TI kicked off the nineteenth annual Harris Community Works Turkey Drive in Atlanta on November 26. The annual event was hosted by Jackson Memorial Baptist Church at 534 Fairburn Rd NW in Adamsville and powered by Tip’s HCW Organization along with quite a few sponsors including the Atlanta Hawks, Humana, Maximum Impact, Kaiser Permanente and Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority, simply to name a couple of several.

Mayor Andre Dickens, Atlanta City Councilwoman Andrea L. Boone and Atlanta notables Young Dro and DC Young Fly showed up for the Westside community and rolled up their sleeves to affix T.I., Tameka “Tiny” Harris, and family to help pack groceries and cargo turkeys, bushels of cabbage, sweet potatoes, and other Thanksgiving food items into cars.

BLACK ENTERPRISES met with Young Dro, who recalled a time in his life when food was scarce. The “Shoulder Lean” artist talked about his contributions and the way the turkey drive impacts people in the community.

“I’ve been here since the beginning,” Dro said TO BE. “When (TI) decided to do it, it was just… honest to me.”

“I remember going to school… having nothing to eat and, you know, having to get up in the morning and sacrifice my secondary education just for food.”

Dro expressed pride in the event’s evolution over the years and said his volunteer efforts are essential along with others who support the Harris Community Works initiative.

“Partnership is everything,” the Westside Atlanta resident confirmed. “If everyone is doing something, one person doesn’t have to do much.”

“It wouldn’t have been possible without Tip.”
– said Dro. “He must work with Impact and Kaiser Permanente at the Fulton County Police Department, Andrea
Boone, my cousin Gregory Sutton”

“When we all come together, that is how we can keep the community safe because one person cannot save the entire world; everyone has to contribute.”

Atlanta Mayor Dickens’ commitment and spirit to the annual food drive matched Young Dro’s.

“I had to show up again,” the Fulton County mayor said TO BE. “Every 12 months I take part in this glorious food distribution organized by TI and the Harris family, Tip, Tiny and all of our sponsors: myself, the city of Atlanta, Councilwoman Andrea Boone, Humana,

“We are here spreading love.” Dickens said. “That’s hundreds, I mean hundreds, of cars of people who are hungry and need to be fed on Thanksgiving, and we’re here spreading holiday cheer by giving out food.”

Mayor Dickens plans to spend his holiday “spreading love,” showing “gratitude” and in the spirit of “gratitude” amongst family and shut friends.

Harris Community Works is a subsidiary of Us Or Else Corp (501c3), a nonprofit social justice charity founded by Tip “TI” Harris. Community the organization provided meals on Thanksgiving for nearly twenty years. For the last eight years, HCW has also supported the community at Christmas by organizing a caravan. TI travels around the city donating clothes and toys to individuals through community programs.