WATSONVILLE—For 12 years, Sherry Dang and Kirk di Cicco, husband-and-wife owners of five local franchised 7-Eleven stores, have made it a point to give back to their community during Thanksgiving. And the Covid-19 pandemic was not going to stop them from continuing that tradition for the 13th year.
Most of the day Monday, Dang and di Cicco were busy handing out 150 free Thanksgiving turkeys and other food to residents and employees. Dang, who grew up in Vietnam, often without a home or enough food, says that when she moved to the U.S., she was inspired to give back.
“When I was at the point when I could give to others, I knew I wanted to do so,” Dang said.
Usually, the turkey giveaway will be a whirlwind of activity inside the store, with long lines and most turkeys being taken within 15 minutes. But because of the pandemic, the giveaway had to adapt. People were asked to sign up in advance and make a reservation to pick up their turkey at a specific time. The time allowed inside the store was limited.
“We are taking people’s safety very seriously,” di Cicco said, pointing out the social distancing markings, one-way traffic markers and lack of a self-serve coffee bar. “We’ve had to adjust, but it’s worth it.”
Di Cicco added that among their 60 employees at five busy 7-Eleven locations in the area, they have not had a single case of Covid-19.
“We are very fortunate,” he said, “and glad that we’ve been able to keep our employees and customers safe.”
On Monday, Watsonville resident Queta Rojas was greeted as she walked into the 7-Eleven on Main Street by Dang, di Dicco and General Manager Gemma Baez. The group presented her with the turkey as well as a large loaf of bread.
Rojas thanked the group for their generosity.
“I just want to say, thank you so much,” she said. “We need it the most this year. It is so nice of you to do this.”
