BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo City Mission delivered more than 5,000 meals to people in need on Thanksgiving. More than 200 volunteers arrived at Meals on Wheels for Western New York beginning at 7 am to help assemble meals and pack them into cars to be delivered.
The Buffalo City Mission's goal was to collect 2,00 turkeys to go towards the hot meals being delivered to poor and homeless individuals across Western New York. that goal was exceeded with 3,000 turkeys being counted the morning of the delivery.
"We need the extra hands and feet. It's the only way we can change the face of homelessness the change of poverty and make sure everyone gets a meal on a holiday," Aubrey Calhoun, Associate Executive Director Development, Public Relations and Volunteer with the City Mission, told 2 On Your Side.
Among the more than 200 volunteers were some familiar faces. Many of the volunteers this year have been volunteering to donate meals on Thanksgiving with the mission for decades. Calhoun described how the repeated efforts of returning volunteers made a difference in how many people the mission was able to deliver meals to.
"We get to the point where start knowing the volunteers and their families and just welcome them back every year."
The Buffalo City Mission uses Thanksgiving as a kickoff to their holiday food drive where they attempt to deliver thousands of meals through Christmas.
