Light of Life Rescue Mission helps the food insecure this Easter Weekend
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - On Good Friday people across the area were giving back and lending a helping hand to those in need, including those at the Light of Life Rescue Mission, which is serving more than 1,000 meals this Easter weekend.
People were busy getting ready for Easter with the mission, first hosting breakfast at the Voeghtly emergency shelter, and then putting meals together at the new long-term shelter, Ridge Recovery Place. The meals were served between the two and delivered to seniors and those experiencing food insecurity at 12 high rises across the Pittsburgh region.
Larry Saitta now lives at Ridge Recovery and has been getting help from the mission since last August.
"I missed some of them, so to speak due to addiction and alcoholism," Saitta said.
At the same time, he's giving back and was doing his part on Good Friday.
"I love my family. We have a great time together, but to be able to help the less fortunate and those in need, I mean, it fills the room with love," Saitta said.
Annie Cairns with Light of Life said this was the first time they got to prep at Ridge, which offered them a much larger space.
"Now we can actually expand services and hopefully over the years serve more and more people in need," Cairns said.
The need is great -there are more than 100,000 people considered food insecure in the Pittsburgh area, and Cairns said the number only continues to grow.
"For us to be able to do this and just bring that little sense of hope and joy for those experiencing food insecurity is a really big deal for the mission," Cairns said.
However, they're doing what they can with 100 volunteers, including Mark Mascara of West Mifflin.
"It just feels good to help period, right? Just help period, that's all," Mascara said. "That's all we really need to do is just, you know, take care of our fellow Pittsburghers."
They're providing a little levity this holiday.
"It's giving. It's helping. It's loving thy neighbor," Saitta said.
