The line stretched for miles early Friday morning outside the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center for the Center Table Fall Harvest food distribution.
"Pull up, pull up," volunteer Kevin White said, inviting drivers to dance along with him to a Michael Jackson song. "Let's rock this!"
"If I can add value to somebody else's life, that makes their life better," White said. "They their mind off their problems just for a split second and they have some joy."
The Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center started hosting the Center Table food giveaways during the pandemic. Since then, the need has only increased.
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"Not what we want to see, to be honest with you," Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center CEO Trina Terrell-Andrews said. "It's one of those things, we're grateful that we can help, but it's just heartbreaking at the end of the day that we have to shut down and turn people away."
"I wish everybody could have a least a plate of food every day," Elsa de los Santos said through tears. She lined up 2-hours before the food distribution started, and said she planned to share of the donated food with others. "I'm so blessed to be here. I'm so blessed to fight every day."
The North Texas Food Bank donated food boxes for more than 500 families. There were also food boxes delivered to educators and cooked meals delivered to seniors.
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The event is largely run by volunteers who pack food and keep cars moving. Many of the volunteers are from the Dallas Black Firefighters Association.
"Usually when they call 911 it's not a good day for somebody," Dallas Black Firefighters Association President Brandon Terry said. "Until you see stuff like this, you really see that the little bit you think you're doing is a lot to somebody else."
"It's not just about the food," de los Santos said. "It's the people. They show so much love!"
The Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center will host a Center Table Winter Harvest drive-thru food giveaway on Monday, December 18 from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
