Our latest New Yorker of the Week is helping a group of fathers create a Thanksgiving to remember. NY1's John Schiumo filed the following report.

Gravy, stuffing, and a turkey are key ingredients to a traditional Thanksgiving meal and Joyce Weinstein is helping to teach 10 single fathers how to prepare a feast.

Weinstein volunteers one day a week at the free cooking class at The Fortune Society; a not-for-profit organization with a drop-in center in Long Island City and emergency transitional housing in Harlem. The organization provides reentry services for men and women who are at risk, incarcerated or formerly incarcerated.

"We find them inspiring too, if you can change somebody’s life by doing something simple," Weinstein said.

"Most of the guys have been judged so much, and to be in an atmosphere where somebody like Joyce comes along and just takes them for what they are," said Fortune Society Founder David Rothenberg.

Weinstein assists the instructor during the eight week class which teaches single fathers more than just nutrition and culinary skills. In the process, they are also learning how to socialize with others. The men and women come to The Fortune Society either voluntarily, are sent from Rikers, or are court mandated. The charges range from murder to robbery. Many of the men still have criminal cases against them pending.

"I feel more secure with myself, I feel more confident that I can go home and cook up a good meal," said one program participant.

"Every time I had my daughters I had to order take out Chinese food, McDonald's. Now when my daughters come over I am able to prepare a meal for them," said former student Francisco Gonzalez.

Every Thanksgiving, Weinstein helps teach the fathers to prepare a Thanksgiving meal that they can recreate on their own at home.

"I am cooking for approximately 40 people, my whole family is going to be there," said one program participant.

"When they do this I think it gives them a sense of accomplishment. When they do this they think they can do other things," Weinstein said.

When the instruction is over and the meal is ready, the men set the table and eat together.

"The class helped me to work together with the other guys and at the end of the class we get to eat together, talk about what we are going through," Gonzalez said.

"Being able to talk informally like that, it does give a sense of family so I think that is actually a lot more important than the actual cooking," Weinstein said.

So, for helping to teach fathers how to cook for their own families, Joyce Weinstein is the latest New Yorker of the Week.

For more information about The Fortune Society, call (212) 691-7554 or visit www.fortunesociety.org.