ALLENTOWN, Pa. - When COVID-19 hit Allentown, organizers stepped up to provide meals - and it grew from there - to give residents a place to get whatever they need.
Founder Jessica Lee Ortiz says the foundation now serves up to 250 people - and the drive is held every two weeks.
“If anybody wants to help us cook... We are so grateful. We try to do home-cooked meals because that's the idea, it’s to feel like family for a moment. They actually go home and sit at home and eat with their family. We want people not to lose sight of that.”
Ortiz says the relief events are part of her family foundation’s larger mission - to support people in need and help them build for the future.
We want to give all of them the life skills needed to go ahead and be on their own in life and hoping that they come back and volunteer and give back as well.
The organization also works with women in domestic violence situations, teens in gangs and people who can’t afford medicine.
The next Feeding Our Neighbors Relief Drive is this Sunday, July 26 from 2 to 4 pm at Stevens Park in Allentown.
Find out more information on the Ortiz Ark Foundation website and Facebook page.