NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Distributes 48 “Gobble Bags” to Support Families this Thanksgiving
Hospital staff and community partners deliver more than 1,900 pounds of food and holiday meals to 48 local families
Nov 25, 2025
Queens, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens today announced it distributed 48 Thanksgiving “Gobble Bags” to patients and families across the borough. Each bag weighed about 40 pounds, totaling roughly 1,920 pounds of food distributed to community members in need. The hospital collected nearly $1,300 in cash donations and accepted in-kind donations of nonperishable items from staff. Those funds were used by the Patient Experience team to purchase groceries and gift cards for the bags. Altogether, 48 families received Gobble Bags. Ten of the bags were provided directly to families identified by the hospital’s Social Work team; those 10 bags also included a turkey donated by Tony Hiralall of Vision Protech Solutions, and a $25 gift card. The remaining 38 bags were split evenly between two partner churches: United Apostle Church (St. Albans) and New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ (Springfield Gardens).
Each bag included broth, chicken, pink salmon, canned beans, cut green beans, rice, stuffing mix, brown gravy mix, yams, evaporated milk, cream of mushroom soup, frozen french fries, onions, cake mix, mini marshmallows, cornbread mix, bacon, spices (oregano, parsley), pasta shells and cheese, olive oil, cooking oil, pans, and aluminum foil. Each of the ten Social Work–designated family bags also included a turkey and a $25 gift card.
“Our staff’s generosity ensures families in our community can enjoy a holiday meal with dignity,” said Neil Moore, MBA, MPA, MPH FACHE, Chief Executive Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens. “This effort demonstrates the power of partnership between our hospital teams and neighborhood organizations to meet basic needs and support overall health.”
“Our Social Work team identified the families who received priority bags and helped ensure those households received timely assistance,” said Nancy Cataldi, Director, Social Work Services, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens. “Social workers at the hospital routinely connect patients and families to resources, advocate for needs related to housing, food security and treatment access, and address emotional and psychological concerns through counseling and care coordination — all of which inform how we prioritize support for families during the holidays.”
Marvetta Rios, RN, and Myrlande Gaston, RN, served as hospital nurse leaders and active members of the partner churches, facilitating coordination, the formal handoff and outreach that connected distribution recipients with available health information and services.
“I want to recognize Marvetta Rios and Myrlande Gaston for their leadership and compassion in this effort,” said Dr. Abbi-Gail Baboolal, DNP, MSN, RN, FNP, Chief Nursing Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens. “Their work exemplifies nursing at its best — connecting clinical care with community outreach to improve health and well-being.”
“This Thanksgiving drive was a true team effort — from staff donations to community partners — and it reflects our commitment to compassionate, person centered-care,” said Alicia Peguero, MPA, Associate Director of Health Care, Care Experience and Person-Centered Care, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens. “I’m grateful to everyone who gave time, resources and care to support families in need.”
“Alicia’s leadership and our team’s generosity made this distribution possible,” said David Weisman, Ph.D., CPXP, FPCC, Chief Experience Officer, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens. “This initiative exemplifies how person-centered care extends beyond the bedside into the neighborhoods we serve.”
Hospital employees donated both funds and nonperishable items to make the Gobble Bag drive possible. Their generosity is part of the health system’s Kindness Campaign — an initiative that encourages staff to extend compassion through acts of service. Kindness in a hospital setting strengthens trust between caregivers and patients, reduces stress for families facing hardship, and reinforces a culture where dignity and human connection support healing.
In total, 48 families received Gobble Bags to help make their holiday brighter. The distribution was organized by the hospital’s Patient Experience team at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens.
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Media Contact: Cleon Edwards, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, (646) 772-5725; edwardcl@nychhc.org
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
A member of NYC Health + Hospitals, NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens is a major health care provider in the borough of Queens. Its foremost mission is to provide quality, comprehensive care to all members of the public regardless of their ability to pay. In 2025, Queens Hospital marked its 90th anniversary of serving the communities of central and southeastern Queens, having first opened its doors as Queens General Hospital in 1935. Encompassing 360,000 square feet, it comprises 253 licensed beds, spacious ambulatory care suites featuring both primary and specialty services, and cutting-edge equipment. It also houses four Centers of Excellence: Cancer Care, Diabetes Management, Women’s Health, and Behavioral Health. The hospital has recently added a fully expanded Emergency Room, a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence accredited by the American College of Radiology, and a Total Hip and Knee Replacement Center, with plans underway to build the health system’s first Dialysis Center to train patients to perform their own at-home dialysis. To learn more about NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/queens.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
