CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Families in need this holiday season got a special treat Friday -- a home delivered meal from volunteers.
42 teams of volunteers drove around the city on different routes to bring meals to home-bound citizens.
City officials said about 1,000 meals were scheduled for delivery Friday as part of the Feast of Sharing. H-E-B partnered with Corpus Christi Parks & Recreation to take their Meals on Wheels Program even further on the holidays.
"If you weren't in the Christmas spirit, it puts you in the Christmas spirit to be here and, you know, this, our people are just excited about giving back," said Parks & Recreation Director Robert Dodd.
Dodd said this is the 34th year of the partnership between the city and HEB for Feast of Sharing. Volunteer drivers picked up food throughout the day to bring to homes around Corpus Christi.
"We want to make sure that our citizens and our home-bound population are taken care of and we understand this is very, very important to them, so it makes it very, very important for us," he said.
Meals are prepared at the Del Mar College Windward Campus and certified by a dietitian to meet one-third of someone's daily nutrition needs. Adrian Gonzalez is volunteering for the second time, this time, bringing his family to give out 14 meals.
"It's just a way to give back to them this time of year where they're not able maybe to get a hot meal and we're lucky and fortunate enough to give it to them," he said.
Bess Spoor is another volunteer, bringing meals for the first time. She described why bringing the meals is so important.
"Spreading a little bit of Christmas cheer to people that either can't afford it or their low-income families and they just need a meal for Christmas," she said.
After dropping off her first meal she said her favorite part is seeing how people respond.
"I like seeing the reaction and just being able to do something for people and make a difference," she said.
Meals on Wheels is a year-round program, but Dodd said Friday's partnership with H-E-B for the Feast of Sharing is the perfect way to provide for citizens who can't leave their homes to get a meal.