POUGHKEEPSIE – On Christmas Day, the 44th annual Eileen Hickey Holiday Dinner will serve a hot meal to approximately 1,700 people in Dutchess County and is taking place without the involvement of the John Flowers Community Events (JFCE) organization or Frankie Flowers. Dan Hickey, husband of the late Eileen Hickey, told Mid-Hudson News that the allegations of domestic violence against Frankie Flowers warranted severing ties between the two groups.
John Flowers, the father of both Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers and her brother Frankie, served as the volunteer coordinator for the annual dinner for several years until he died in 2015. He was succeeded by Yvonne Flowers, with her brother serving as a prominent volunteer.
“Unfortunately for him, Frankie is going through some issues and so is his alleged victim,” Hickey said. “He will not be a part of this year’s meal and will not be a part of future events.” Sources have told Mid-Hudson News that Hickey met with Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers and her brother Frankie Flowers in her office recently to explain the severing of ties between the two groups. Hickey confirmed the meeting took place.
Flowers was arrested on violent domestic abuse charges in Connecticut in late 2023 and pleaded down to two counts of criminal trespass in 2024. He was to avoid arrests for two years, and Connecticut would dismiss the case. Earlier this month, . The public outcry over the repeated domestic violence charges has resulted in several elected officials and organizations cutting ties with the JFCE and Frankie Flowers. Dutchess County, are now joined by and the Hickey Family Holiday Dinner.
Public outcry grew when Flowers, through his attorney, Joe O’Connor, convinced Town of Poughkeepsie Judge Steve Klein that the electronic monitoring (EM) that Flowers was placed on after he recently made bail was too restrictive, and ordered the ankle bracelet removed. .
Chef Martial Zulkifli, owner of , is preparing the 1,700 meals in his commercial kitchen before they are transported to the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory (PUF) building at 8 North Cherry Street in Poughkeepsie for distribution on Christmas Day. According to Hickey, volunteer drivers and delivery helpers will pick up meals at 9 am, 10 am, and 11 am for delivery to assisted living facilities, senior housing complexes, and other locations before delivering them to specific residential addresses. A limited number of diners will be able to enjoy their full holiday meal at PUF.
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