Dozens of cars lined Cleveland Avenue on Monday afternoon as the City of Atlanta, rapper Da Brat, and her wife, entrepreneur Jesseca Harris-Dupart hosted a turkey drive to feed 500 families ahead of Thanksgiving.
The drive was hosted in partnership with Kaleidoscope Hair Products — owned by Harris-Dupart — Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Whiskey Mistress Restaurant, Celebs Give Back, and Bella Nissan. Da Brat, Harris-Dupart, and volunteers from ATL Parks and Rec and Hope Atlanta handed out turkeys, bundles of fresh collards, and tote bags filled with more goods to keep the holiday spirit alive.
Faven Ressom, co-owner and operator of Whisky Mistress, said people were lined up as early as 8 a.m., five hours before the start of the event. After hosting the inaugural turkey drive in Buckhead in 2024, they knew they wanted their next spot to be an area where families experienced the most need.
“It’s so awesome to be on the Southside today and giving back to the community that’s kind of made us who we are,” Ressom said.
Families took pictures with Da Brat and Harris-Dupart as they, along with volunteers, loaded up their trunks and backseats with tote bags. The duo, who have lent their time to charitable organizations, said it “feels good” to give back to the community and to see the turnout from Atlanta residents. “It makes us want to double it,” Harris-Dupart said.
“We are in a critical time all over our country, and so we’re just really happy to serve and be there for our community. It’s amazing. It just, you know, seeing everybody come together and you know, it gets you in the holiday spirit,” said Courtney Johnson, a partner with Atlanta Life Insurance Company. “Some people were saying they were going to cancel their Thanksgiving, and now they don’t have to, and we’re glad that we could provide that.”
