PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Thanksgiving tradition continues for the Light of Life Rescue mission. They have spent this year preparing to serve meals to 8,000 Allegheny County residents.
More than 100 volunteers packed the boxes with turkey, gravy, stuffing, corn, cornbread and more at the World Vision distribution center Monday morning.
“If it’s just packing boxes and putting buns, stuffing or potatoes in a box, it seems like a small thing, but it’s an incredible impact,” said said Shannon Arnold, general manager of FedEx Ground University. “To hear that we are serving 2,000 families this year is such a blessing.”
Arnold has been volunteering for four years with his colleagues at FedEx. This year, more than 20 participants.
“It’s really important for us to recognize that there are different types of people in this world who need our help and that we have the capacity to do so,” Arnold said.
“Food insecurity has increased in our region,” said Jerrel Gilliam, executive director of Light of Life. “One in seven people say they are food insecure, so raising awareness is very important at this time of year.”
Gilliam said it was a way of bringing the community together to help their neighbors.
“There are people in Allegheny County who care and love them and today we need to know that message,” Gilliam said. “There’s so much out there about division and hate and all that.”
“We hope that this year we bring hope to people who feel a little left out, who feel challenged and it’s a way for us to bring hope back to the communities we serve.”
They hope to fill families with food and lots of faith this holiday season.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Light of Life Rescue Mission will serve over 1,000 meals as well as hygiene kits, gloves and scarves.
If you are interested in giving back, click here.
Brianna Smith
Cnn
