ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – For the first time, Faith Assembly Church in Orlando partnered with Orlando Dream Center and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to feed dozens of families.
Volunteers collected donations from cars Monday, amounting to almost 30,000 pounds of food.
“The event was set to begin to begin at 10 a.m. and cars began to line up at 6-6:30 this morning so obviously the need is desperate,” Johnny Wilson, executive pastor of Faith Assembly church said.
Dozens of volunteers arrived early to the church-turned-drive-thru distribution grocery site.
Everyone wore face masks and gloves as they unloaded pallets of food and water and sorted produce like broccoli into plastic bags.
“There’s even some refrigerated goods, also some canned goods, some pastas," the pastor said. “So quite a good array of groceries."
Not long after 10 a.m., the first group of cars pulled into the different stations ready with volunteers to place food into the trunks.
Everything from milk, cabbage, eggs, bread, blueberries, snacks and bars of soap were placed into more than 700 vehicles.
“There are desperate times," Wilson said. “We thought that this would meet a need, but yet we are overwhelmed with the amount of people that are here.”
Wilson said though the need was great, the event and partnership was an act of Central Florida unity and kindness.
"We've been encouraging really people to be an answer in their neighborhoods and with their neighbors," Wilson said. "During a time like this, it's awesome to see people come together and really care about one another and help one another."
After all of the food was distributed, about 150 grocery gift cards and bottled water were given to the people who did not receive groceries.
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