Being known from time to time to write about those that work in the bar and restaurant business for my Bokenology column, I found it fitting to acknowledge one specific group of people with their own category this week entitle Turkeyology. In a struggling economic era today, there are so many people who unfortunately are unable to afford to celebrate with their families, have been devastated by natural disasters locally or sadly have no where to live and reside on the streets, benches and homeless shelter in our community.

RE/Max Gold Coast Realty in Hoboken has been making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate for the last 3 years by making sure those in need enjoy a festive and very happy Thanksgiving. According to Karen De Jesus of Re/Max Gold Coast Realty, for 3 consecutive years the realty offices have been feeding those in need on Thanksgiving. "This year we started spreading the word in October as we had a much more aggressive goal. Last year we fed 54 families, this year our goal was 75 and ended up surpassing our goal and putting together 91 full Thanksgiving baskets all together. "

Karen added "It benefits families in need who seek help from the Hyacinth Foundation in our community, and this year we will also offer meals to the six Hoboken families displaced by a fire this past Monday. Any miscellaneous items left over from the drive are usually delivered to the Hoboken Shelter, however, this year we are going to continue to collect monetary and food donations for Christmas meals. We have 56 members at RE/MAX Gold Coast Realty including agents, staff and Broker. Everyone in this bunch has contributed whether by making donations, involving their sphere of influence in the event and/or by setting up and putting together the full Thanksgiving Baskets. It truly has been a team effort all the way around. "

When I asked Karen about the feedback they receive from the recipients of the event Karen said "We are aware of the increasing amounts of families in need and try to do whatever we can for as many families as possible. People from everywhere are very grateful for our efforts and want to contribute. We haven't met the families that received the "baskets" but the representatives of the Hyacinth Foundation were blown away and extremely grateful for all the donations. "

Local residents are encouraged to participate as well. Karen adds " local Hoboken can help in future by making donations whether its canned food or monetary. Local restaurants can continue to support us by allowing us to store turkeys in their freezers, making contributions toward the cause, allowing us to use their locations for fundraising events. "

It's not over for Re/Max once thanksgiving is over. "Every year for Christmas we collect items for the Hoboken Shelter and volunteer as a group to serve lunch and dinner. This year we are continuing our Food Drive collection to put together full Christmas Meals for families who weren't able to benefit from our Thanksgiving Drive. We haven't set a goal for the Christmas Drive at the moment. Any items we can't utilize for our Christmas Meals will be donated to the Hoboken Shelter along with any other items (ie coats, toiletries, clothing, etc) that are donated. "

My personal hats off to everyone at Re/Max Gold Coast Realty. What they do for the local community is beyond what any of my words could possibly express. Stop by and thank them for their wonderful deeds this holiday season or drop off needed good for Christimas. The offices are located at 56 Newark St. here in Hoboken. Karen De Jesus can be reached at 201 792 5200 extension 316.