Big Mama still needs turkeys for giveaway

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- While many wait in anticipation for Black Friday this week, local philanthropist Essie "Big Mama" Reed continues to scramble to collect more turkeys to give away to needy families for a more familiar holiday tradition.

Compared to last week, when Big Mama was left in tears over the empty shelves at her Team of Life charity center in Fort Lauderdale, Monday morning found her in a brighter mood. "I come back here, you couldn't walk into that place," she said with a laugh.

There are now tons of turkey and hundreds of boxes of food to feed needy families. All weekend long, people have stepped up to help Big Mama and her cause, and the giving continues. On Monday morning, students from Alternative Education Foundation Schools arrived with enough boxes of food to feed more than 200 families.

She has big plans for all the donations. "I was aiming to go to West Palm Beach, Delray, Deerfield, Pompano and back to Fort Lauderdale but way on the east side, to take care of those families," Big Mama said.

She plans to come to Miami next.

It's not too late to help out. If you want to donate to Big Mama and her Team of Life charity, visit the group's website at http://www.bigmamahelp.com/

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