TAMPA, Fla. -- When Hurricane Irma blew through Tampa Bay area, the Gengiz Khan Mediterranean Grill made headlines by converting its dining room into a shelter. The Tampa restaurant housed and fed 150 people off the street.
Owner Ergin Tek, a 38-year-old USF grad from Turkey, isn’t done helping people in the South Tampa neighborhood he loves so much.
Tek is now turning to his attention to Thanksgiving in a big way. He is preparing to cooking thousands of turkey dinners out of Gengiz Khan’s kitchen for local churches and synagogues to feed the needy in the area. This includes hungry mouths from Puerto Rico chased off the island by Hurricane Maria.
“I tell you what, man,” says Tek, “I’ve mastered the science of helping people. I’m serious!”
Tek talks a big game but he has a big heart. His generosity guided him to start Feed in Need, an interfaith nonprofit hoping to feed the hungry on a larger scale.
“If I turn my back, that means I would not live with myself forever." said Tek. "With us, people who are privileged, we should show we care."
For more information on helping Ergin Tek on Thanksgiving, visit www.feedinneed.com.
