Getting together. Giving thanks. Here we are, preparing for another Thanksgiving holiday, and gratitude is very much top of mind for all of us here at the Seaport and The Howard Hughes Corporation. As we plan our own family celebrations, we’re also taking time to give back to our local communities, and to those in need. In that spirit of gratitude, here are some of the ways we’re supporting others this holiday season. 

Thanksgiving Meals for Our Neighbors
A holiday plate and a friendly face. As we’ve done in previous years, teams from Howard Hughes paired up with our partners at Vision Urbana for their annual Thanksgiving meal-preparation event. On Tuesday, November 21, our volunteers gathered in a space at Pier 17 to help pack 1,500 holiday meals, which will be donated to Vision Ubrana. Their teams will then deliver the meals to families and seniors living on the Lower East Side for the Thanksgiving holiday. Vision Urban serves thousands of low-income New York City Housing Authority families every week, including at this special time of year. You can help support Vision Urbana’s work this holiday season by making a tax-deductible donation  at www2.visionurbana.org/donate.

City Harvest Fundraising
Caviar… for charity? Yep. On October 18, 2023, The Fulton’s Executive Chef Noah Poses participated in City Harvest’s BID Drive In, a tasting event and auction to raise money for City Harvest’s efforts to reduce food waste and feed New Yorkers in need. Chef Noah, a recent Food Council member of City Harvest, and The Fulton donated a dining experience for auction — and it sold for $50,000. The special “Celebration of Caviar” experience will take place on the restaurant’s private second-floor balcony bar and in a private dining room, where Chef Noah will curate a four-course caviar menu with wine pairings. The Fulton and Chef Noah were thrilled to be able to support City Harvest, one of the largest food rescue organizations in the country. The funds raised at the recent BID Drive In event will contribute to City Harvest’s efforts to feed 4 million New Yorkers in need.

Toys for Tots
Another charity we love to work with is the Marine Toys for Tots program, whose mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys to distribute to less fortunate children for the holidays. This year, Howard Hughes is supporting the Disney Ultimate Toy Drive. Disney has been involved with the Marine Toys for Tots program since 1947, when Walt Disney and his team of animators designed the original logo for the organization. To get involved with Disney’s still-going-strong support, you can donate a toy online at shopDisney.com now through December 24, 2023, or you can donate a new, unwrapped toy in person at a U.S. Disney store location now through December 15, 2023.

Donations at our Holiday Tree Lighting
Ready for a festive night out? Bringing the community together, the Seaport Holiday Tree Lighting celebration is our annual kick-off to the holiday season. Aside from the live music and seasonal treats, the night is also a way we give back. At this year’s Holiday Tree Lighting on Tuesday, November 28, from 6pm – 7pm, The Howard Hughes Corporation will be donating $5,000 worth of toys to the Toys for Tots annual drive, $10,000 to Manhattan Youth, which provides childcare and after-school programs, and $10,000 to University Settlement, which assists New Yorkers on the Lower East Side and in Brooklyn and helps fight poverty and inequality. You can join us in giving back by bringing a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots donation to the Holiday Tree Lighting Celebration — you’ll receive a free hot chocolate from Paris Cafe for your good deed.

Coats for the Kids
One of our local schools, the Peck Slip School, is a growing PreK-Grade 5 public elementary school serving the Seaport and Financial District. Anyone who attended this year’s Taste of the Seaport probably already knows that the annual community food event raises funds for enrichment programs at Peck Slip School, along with Spruce Street School. We’re also proud to share that Howard Hughes recently donated 100 brand-new coats to Peck Slip School, to ensure that all children in the school community have adequate warm winter clothing. 

From all of us at The Seaport and The Howard Hughes Corporation, we wish you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season.