CaptionAbout 2,000 people lined up in Wilson Wednesday morning to get free bags of groceries.
The Opportunities Industrialization Center on Reid Street had more than 21 tons of food on hand, including turkeys, ham, peanut butter, and other staples. Some of the food comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Other items were donated by local businesses. OIC distributes food four times a year. But more people showed up Wednesday than ever before.
"Happy. Really happy. Because there's a lot of people who are out of work or they don't have a job. And this means a lot to them. Because they know they'll have a meal," said Brenda Richardson, who picked up groceries. The lines were twice as long as they were just a couple of years ago, according to Howard Jones, president of the Opportunities Industrialization Center.
"A lot of the folks you see out there in line today, they were working two years ago. They had jobs and they were doing fine," Jones said. As the need has increased, so has the number of volunteers. More than 100 turned out Wednesday.
"We're glad to help them. We're glad to see people smile when you give them food and a lot of them need it real bad," said Matt Parisi, a volunteer.
The center had enough food Wednesday for everyone who showed up.
Hundreds of people also got free health screenings at the center.
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