United Way provides 500 turkeys, gift cards to former Sumitomo employees

BUFFALO N.Y. (WIVB) -- The United Way of Buffalo and Erie County is putting food on the table for hundreds of families impacted by the Sumitomo Rubber Plant closure.

"I think it's a blessing," said Corwin Ekweozer, who worked at the plant for four years. "It's going to help out a lot of people with so many people out of work. The holiday is here so I think it's a beautiful gesture to help out a lot of people."

The organization handed out 500 turkeys and $50 Tops gift cards Monday to people who lost their jobs at the plant.

"I'm happy to see that people actually care about others. If this happened to someone else, I'd be doing the same," former employee Tynyia Tarber said. "I'm appreciative and thank everyone for helping everyone in need. I know people that have kids that are really taking it hard."

The Tonawanda plant closed down earlier this month, leaving more than 1,500 workers scrambling to find a new job.

"It's honestly really rough," former employee Michael Hughes said. "A place that you've been working at, and they blindside you, and you thought you'd be retiring there. I had 15 years left and thought I'd be retiring there. It hurts."

Hughes worked at Sumitomo for five years before the sudden closure. He now has to look for a new job during the holidays.

"Makes it even worse," he said. "Presents and everything, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a rough time for them to do that."

"We know that these good-paying jobs being lost is going to be meaningful for these individuals, so what we wanted to do was provide an immediate happy Thanksgiving," said Trina Burruss, United Way of Buffalo and Erie County president.

"I think it says a lot about Buffalo," Ekweozer said. "When you look at all the different things that have happened in Buffalo in the last couple years, you'll see the people rally behind each other, help each other out. So I think this is just another example of Buffalo doing that."