Community members in Newburgh came together to help their fellow neighbors in need, like volunteer Andrew McGinnis. 

"It makes me feel great to help give back, because they've helped me so now I'm giving back," said the Middletown resident who remembers when he's had to get food or clothes from pantries before.

More than 60 volunteers like Andrew came to St. Mary's Outreach in Newburgh to distribute more than 15 tons of food for the holidays, including a full Thanksgiving meal, complete with turkey, ham and all the trimmings.

It's also a learning experience: Students from Gidney Avenue School come out every month to help bag vegetables, translate and sort food for the families who come.

"It makes me feel very happy as an educator that this is our future, and they're gonna keep helping others," said Karin McCartney, who heads the elementary honor society at Gidney Avenue.  

Their work helps people like Wanda Coffield, who suffered the loss of her mother a year ago, making the holidays hard for her and her family. 

"Sometimes you don't have the financial needs or means to go to the grocery store to get your whole meal, and something like this helps a lot because it says St. Mary's does care," Coffield said.

Donations of food and clothes from around the area, on top of food grants, help feed hundreds of families this season. At least 300 families loaded up bags, boxes and carts with with Thanksgiving dinners, as well as winter clothes and items like lotion and soap to help make ends meet.