Army of volunteers help feed the needy

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Inside a 1920s church rich in elegance, thousands of bags filled the pews, each containing the items needed to make a Thanksgiving feast.

Volunteer Nancy Polino said, "A lot of people are poor and in need and they need food, they need clothing, they need warm things and they need to know people care about them."

At St. Luke's Mission of Mercy on Walden Avenue, around 750 volunteers filled 2,500 bags on Tuesday.

Omar Coons, who received one of the bundles, said, "I've got some apples, squash, lettuce, cookies, a turkey...everything needed for Thanksgiving and I appreciate it."

Nearly 50 of the volunteers were Canisius High School students, who helped fill bags for a line of people stretching around the church, each waiting a few hours for a bag they will use to feed their families.

Student Billy Quinn said, "I saw that line. I was kind of worried we weren't going to have enough food. But now that I'm in the church, I see that we do. It teaches me that I'm well off and I should probably be thankful for what I have."

Marketa Patterson, who is using one of the bag of groceries to feed her family, said, "We don't have to worry about going to other people's houses, asking anybody for everything. I can cook it and it can just be us."

Polino said its part of their mission to help the needy, a reason God put people on the Earth.

"It's hard to ask for help; it's hard for people when they fall on hard times to ask for help. He put us on this earth to help each other," she said.

If you'd like to volunteer at St. Luke's or make a food or monetary donation, follow this link to their website.