NYC Restaurant Opens Its Heart on Thanksgiving

Spending time with family is a Thanksgiving tradition, but some elderly living in the city have outlived their loved ones.

Jo-Ann Makovitzky (L), owner of Tocqueville restaurant, receives an envelope with money as a tip for the family’s hard work serving them a complimentary Thanksgiving Day dinner at her restaurant on Nov. 22 in Manhattan, New York. Makovitzky donated the money back to Citimeals-on-Wheels, the program which she partnered with to be able to serve 40 elderly Citymeals-on-Wheels recipients dinner. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

NEW YORK—Spending time with family is a Thanksgiving tradition, but some elderly living in the city have outlived their loved ones.

On Thursday, Tocqueville restaurant located near Union Square opened up its doors to help feed 40 needy elderly residents. It was also a family affair for the restaurant, with three generations of owner Jo-Ann Makovitzky’s family pitching in with everything from serving to washing dishes.

“We are open every year on Thanksgiving and I don’t get to spend time with my family,” said Makovitzky. “I thought this would be a great way to spend time with them and help out.”

After Superstorm Sandy tore through New York, Makovitzky wanted to help and reached out to Citymeals, a nonprofit that provides meals to homebound seniors during weekends, holidays, and emergencies.

In less than two weeks, Citymeals organized seniors from the Lower East Side, many who survived by food delivery from Citymeals following the storm, and Makovitzky rallied her family to help. “I was glad we were able to get everything worked out in such a short time,” she said.