HOUSTON — Turkey Leg Hut is a Houston staple and on Sunday, the restaurant held its annual festival and block party in the Third Ward.
The event was canceled the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, though, the crowd, the music and the turkey legs were back.
Dozens came out to the event which shut down a portion of the Almeda Road.
Among the nearly 100 local and national vendors was one working for a vital cause.
"I feel like our presence is very important to let the community know that we’re here, we’re here to recruit nurses,” CBC Medical Staffing owner Christina Cornealius said.
Her company is a Houston-based nursing agency. Cornealius' tent was set up to recruit those with medical experience to help fill the current nationwide nursing shortage fueled by the ongoing pandemic.
"We need hundreds if not thousands of nurses,” she said.
Cornealius is a registered nurse of 17 years. She said she’s witnessed the growing need firsthand.
“You have the nurses that are dealing with burnout, so we’re losing nurses in the field right now because they've been doing this nonstop for two years," Cornealius said.
Turkey Leg Hut’s inaugural block party in 2019 drew more than 6,000 people. After a two-year hiatus, owner Nakia Price said they’re happy to be back.
“It feels good. Just get back in the swing of things. COVID killed a lot of things. Two years in the making from our first and not able to have it annually like we anticipated," Price said.
Cornealius said the party is a tradition that brings the community together.
“This, I think, is a good boost for our community for us to showcase what we do. Show that we support each other," Cornealius said.