Aaron Boone, Yankees pitch in to help Bronx families in need this Thanksgiving

Aaron Boone got an early jump on the holiday season this year, starting at a familiar location.

The Yankees’ manager was at Yankee Stadium on Monday as part of the team’s initiative with the Food Bank for New York City. The team and the local organization conduct a monthly pop-up food distribution to help feed those in need. With the Yankees in their offseason and Thanksgiving right around the corner, Boone saw November’s edition as a great opportunity to get involved and “be a part of putting food on people’s tables, especially this time of year.”

“It means a lot and I’m glad to be here,” the skipper said from the shadow of the stadium. Sporting a Yankee hat and jacket — as well as some grown-out facial hair that will need a trim when spring training starts — Boone urged reporters in attendance to, fittingly, be thankful for what they have.

“People do have basic needs, not only feeding themselves but family members,” Boone said. “It’s a reminder not to take for granted, at all, the things that some of us deem simple.”

The event featured Boone and other Yankee staff members as well as volunteers from Bank of America and support from Krasdale Foods. Bronx residents who showed up received an assortment of produce, canned and dry goods. Vouchers for $25 at local supermarkets were also passed out.

Each of these monthly events, which began in May, provide food for roughly 500 families, with an emphasis on shelf-stable goods that can last for long periods of time without spoiling. The Yankees’ Diversion and Inclusion Committee helped implement the distribution program, which on Monday included Boone with boots on the ground meeting the recipients face-to-face and loading food into their carts or bags. A long line of people greeted Boone and the team of volunteers at Gate 8 of the stadium, something that the skipper said increased the interrelatedness of the Yankees and their surrounding community.

“It makes it more personal and adds a little bit to the connection,” Boone said of his experience handing the goods to people. “[It] feels like you’re actually helping out.”

“The partnership with the Yankees means everything to Food Bank for New York City,” said Janis Robinson, the non-profit’s Vice President of Institutions and Partnerships. “People in the community have grown to expect this distribution. We are so pleased that we have the support of the Yankees to provide food for families for Thanksgiving.”

In times like these, as the weather gets colder, the holidays create difficult times for many underserved families, and the effects of the ongoing pandemic remain palpable, any help goes a long way.

“They have been such a tremendous partner and really supported this community,” Robinson said of the Yankees. “As we all know, the price of food has gone up, and there’s a supply chain shortage. To come [to Yankee Stadium] and know that you can get much needed Thanksgiving meals is really, really important for the community.”

In addition to the food distribution, Yankee Stadium has also been instrumental in getting the city vaccinated against COVID-19. The vaccination site at the stadium, which opened on Feb. 5, 2021, administered its 100,000th shot on Nov. 17. The stadium is providing both initial shots and boosters. The Yankee Stadium vaccination site is also now offering vaccines for children ages five to eleven.