MINNEAPOLIS — Dozens of people lined up outside Shiloh Temple International Ministries on West Broadway in north Minneapolis.
"We got to give away over 500 turkeys," said Jalila Abdul-Brown, founder of Change Starts with Community.
It's for the annual community violence prevention Thanksgiving turkey giveaway.
"The fact that people in this community know that they can find some hope and cheer, especially those families that lost loved ones, yet there is opportunity to put smiles on faces," said Bishop Richard D. Howell, Jr., with Shiloh Temple.
With food, but also addressing the root causes when it comes to violence prevention.
"I believe it takes all of us to prevent violence, and we do have people who have killed each other over food, and this is to prevent that from happening," said Abdul-Brown.
The event gave the community a chance to meet with elected and public officials, who were also volunteering their time.
"We're getting a lot of positive responses," said Minneapolis Community Safety Commissioner, Cedric Alexander. "We know that there is a lot of work that we need to do and we are still going to continue that work."
"I actually care, this isn't just a job, this is a part of what I want to do, who I am, I want to inspire others," said Hennepin County Sheriff-elect, Dawanna Witt.
Event organizers also distributed free gun locks, naloxone kits and community violence intervention resources.
"This is one of the things that we know needs to be happening, and it needs to be more, because it shouldn't just take one, it's a collective effort, throughout the community," said Muhammad Abdul-Ahad, Executive Director of Touch outreach, program director for MinneapolUS. "Food and housing are two major issues. If we can make people feel like they have a safe home, and know where their next meal is coming from, that will help with violence," said Kentral Galloway, Director, Next Step program.
The Shiloh Temple food shelf is open three days a week. For more information, visit the website here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist: