New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani visited the National Action Network in Harlem to help distribute Thanksgiving meals with Rev. Al Sharpton, New York Attorney General Letitia James and other community members Thursday. 

"Most of all, I'm thankful and I am grateful that in a little more than a month City Hall will focus its power on a mission that has too long escaped its attention -- making a dignified, affordable life in New York a reality for every person who calls this city home," Mamdani said. 

"Thanksgiving is a time for giving, it's a time for us to celebrate family," said Rev. Sharpton. "Many who come today come from homeless shelters, but many are seniors who just don't have people that they have a Thanksgiving dinner with."

The holiday season kicked off Thursday across New York City, from the 99th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to various food giveaways. 

Bowery Mission feeding New Yorkers for nearly 150 years

The Bowery Mission has been providing warm meals to hungry New Yorkers for more than a century. This is the organization's 146th Thanksgiving. 

The meals come with turkey and the fixings, including a slice of homemade pie. 

"The holidays, it doesn't matter who you are, what's going on in your life, you deserve to have a place at the table where you're welcome," Bowery Mission Chief Development Officer Karl Chan said.  

The Bowery Mission said it expected to serve as many as 1,500 meals at its Bowery location alone. It also has other locations in Harlem and Tribeca.

It's been a challenging past few months for some guests who say the food and company is much needed this holiday season. 

"This year, right now, we're seeing high cost of living, unaffordability. We're in this crisis right now," said Chan. 

"It's been a hard year"

Angela Shields-Kurtz, from Brooklyn, said she was grateful to be there after dealing with a cancer scare earlier in the year and struggling with housing insecurity. 

"It's been a hard year, a lot of hardships, a lot of losses," she said. 

She said this was her first Thanksgiving without her family and first time visiting the Bowery Mission's flagship campus. 

"It's a beautiful experience," she said, going on to add, "It's so delicious. I might want a second plate, it's so good."

"No more food stamps, so the Bowery is the place I could always go," said guest Cherokee Dukes. 

Volunteer Rashmika Rajan encouraged more New Yorkers to volunteer on Thanksgiving and throughout the year. 

"It'll actually change the way you think about Thanksgiving," Rajan said. "Thanksgiving is not only about the immediate blood family, but also about family from communities, family from anywhere."

Meals are usually served from a kitchen at the Bowery Mission, but they make it a point to have guests sit down on Thanksgiving and ask volunteers to help serve tables -- serving not just food, but dignity.