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American Morning
Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry Charity in Atlanta
Aired November 28, 2002 - 08:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, though, it is Thanksgiving. Quickly to Atlanta, Charles Molineaux has been standing by patiently at Turner Field. A lot of folks giving thanks today.
Charles, what do you have for us there?
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bill, the Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry Charity is one of the most popular in Atlanta. People come out by the thousands to help feed the hungry. We have been watching a steady stream of volunteers come in here to Turner Field. You're watching as they file in, sign up and then stand by for deployment. We've watched steady streams of them going by. In fact, if you look at this room right here, there's a huge crowd of them packed in. Again, these are volunteers waiting to assist in serving Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless and needy.
And check out Merrill (ph) here, he's got hundreds of these wristbands to help people out. These are for the volunteers as they sign up and get ready to help out, serve dinners.
Now the homeless and needy people are going to be coming in probably in a couple of hours, filing in. They're actually going to get a chance to take showers and get some grooming over here, and then pick up some clothes. There's actually clothing for adult there. They could even dress for their Thanksgiving dinner, which is, again, going to be starting up in a couple of hours.
Now one longtime volunteer is Evelyn Smith (ph). She's actually been doing this for going on 20 years now.
What keeps you coming back?
EVELYN SMITH, VOLUNTEER: Oh just being able to give back to the community, to see the smiles, the faces light up and really, really help others. I grew up helping others.
MOLINEAUX: Any stories that have really touched you as you see all of these people go by?
SMITH: Yes. Yes, one that really comes back to mind is a family of about four. The mother had three children. And on her way out the door, the youngest son exited the door and came back and just said, "I cannot leave Hosea's Feed the Hungry without letting you know that we really, really do thank you." And the tears just streamed down his little face. And I mean that story has just stuck with me. And he just gave us the biggest bear hug ever. And that's what really makes it all worthwhile, seeing a face light up, seeing our people just really fulfill their needs, et cetera.
MOLINEAUX: It must be...
SMITH: It makes one day happy for our people.
MOLINEAUX: Thank you very much, Evelyn Smith, and happy Thanksgiving.
The Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry actually started out real small. It was 100 people in the Wheat Street Baptist Church back in 1971. Today the charity expects to feed some 40,000 Thanksgiving dinners to the hungry and the homeless. Some 33,000 right here at Turner Field in Atlanta, but 7,000 will actually be brought out to the needy wherever they are -- Bill, Carol.
HEMMER: Great cause there. Thank you, Charles. Charles Molineaux watching things in Atlanta.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 28, 2002 - 08:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, though, it is Thanksgiving. Quickly to Atlanta, Charles Molineaux has been standing by patiently at Turner Field. A lot of folks giving thanks today.
Charles, what do you have for us there?
CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Bill, the Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry Charity is one of the most popular in Atlanta. People come out by the thousands to help feed the hungry. We have been watching a steady stream of volunteers come in here to Turner Field. You're watching as they file in, sign up and then stand by for deployment. We've watched steady streams of them going by. In fact, if you look at this room right here, there's a huge crowd of them packed in. Again, these are volunteers waiting to assist in serving Thanksgiving dinners for the homeless and needy.
And check out Merrill (ph) here, he's got hundreds of these wristbands to help people out. These are for the volunteers as they sign up and get ready to help out, serve dinners.
Now the homeless and needy people are going to be coming in probably in a couple of hours, filing in. They're actually going to get a chance to take showers and get some grooming over here, and then pick up some clothes. There's actually clothing for adult there. They could even dress for their Thanksgiving dinner, which is, again, going to be starting up in a couple of hours.
Now one longtime volunteer is Evelyn Smith (ph). She's actually been doing this for going on 20 years now.
What keeps you coming back?
EVELYN SMITH, VOLUNTEER: Oh just being able to give back to the community, to see the smiles, the faces light up and really, really help others. I grew up helping others.
MOLINEAUX: Any stories that have really touched you as you see all of these people go by?
SMITH: Yes. Yes, one that really comes back to mind is a family of about four. The mother had three children. And on her way out the door, the youngest son exited the door and came back and just said, "I cannot leave Hosea's Feed the Hungry without letting you know that we really, really do thank you." And the tears just streamed down his little face. And I mean that story has just stuck with me. And he just gave us the biggest bear hug ever. And that's what really makes it all worthwhile, seeing a face light up, seeing our people just really fulfill their needs, et cetera.
MOLINEAUX: It must be...
SMITH: It makes one day happy for our people.
MOLINEAUX: Thank you very much, Evelyn Smith, and happy Thanksgiving.
The Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry actually started out real small. It was 100 people in the Wheat Street Baptist Church back in 1971. Today the charity expects to feed some 40,000 Thanksgiving dinners to the hungry and the homeless. Some 33,000 right here at Turner Field in Atlanta, but 7,000 will actually be brought out to the needy wherever they are -- Bill, Carol.
HEMMER: Great cause there. Thank you, Charles. Charles Molineaux watching things in Atlanta.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
