BUFFALO, N.Y. — A Buffalo pastor is once again drawing attention to the needs of people without housing during the holiday season.
For the past 22 years, the Rev. Eric Johns of the Buffalo Dream Center has lived with homeless people, then come back to help feed those in need with his Boxes of Love campaign, a grocery drive that partners with FeedMore Western New York.
He says living on the street this year was quite different because COVID-19 has really hit people without housing hard.
"You can't really go in to sit down in soup kitchen, you get it to go," Pastor Johns said. "You can't just walk into a coffee shop and get a coffee, maybe sit down take a load off get warm. Finding a restroom is difficult.
"All of these things are difficult, but we have a lot of people who have been affected by this."
Pastor Johns says he expects more people will struggle with food insecurity this year so they're stepping up efforts.
Since March they've had 3,000 volunteers help out.
