CORONA — The people started lining up the night before the event was set to begin, and by the time the event got underway at 10 a.m. sharp on Nov. 24, the line extended around an entire block.  

The crowds came to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Corona to receive free Thanksgiving turkeys distributed by Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens (CCBQ). 

By the time the distribution ended later that morning, CCBQ had served 1,000 families — giving out 800 turkeys and 200 chickens. 

The giveaway was a much-needed boost for the Our Lady of Sorrows community, according to Father Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez, the church’s pastor, who said it is essentially a Spanish-speaking immigrant community with many families who are struggling to make ends meet.  

“A lot of the people who are here today would probably not be able to have Thanksgiving at all if not for Catholic Charities,” he said. 

The turkey giveaway, which was sponsored by the Spanish-language television network Univision, ran like clockwork.  

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Volunteers stood behind a long table under a tent on the sidewalk outside the church, handing a shopping bag containing a turkey to each person who came through. Many of the recipients brought shopping carts to carry the turkeys home. 

Despite the long wait, recipients showed no signs of impatience, and many smiled after receiving their turkeys. 

Jorge Guttierez, a parishioner of Our Lady of Sorrows, arrived at the church at 5:30 a.m. to secure his place in line.  

“I am very happy to be here,” he said as he waited in line. “I will be happy to get a turkey.” 

Richard Slizeski, senior vice president for mission at CCBQ, said the giveaway reflects the organization’s Catholic identity. “We try to live according to the words of Pope Francis and more recently Pope Leo that the poorest of our community are the heart of our community,” he said.  

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The distribution at Our Lady of Sorrows Church was the third giveaway CCBQ held in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.  

On Nov. 17 and 18, the organization distributed more than 700 turkeys to 70 parishes in the Diocese of Brooklyn.  

Debbie Hampson, senior director for community outreach services at CCBQ, watched with a smile as turkeys were unloaded from delivery trucks at CCBQ’s Pfeiffer Center in Howard Beach to parish representatives. 

“This is what we do. This is our mission,” Hampson said. “We go into the community and serve people.”