Thousands of hungry served meal by St. Augustine in Cleveland

CLEVELAND - At 11 a.m. on Christmas morning there was already a line for Christmas meals to be served by the hunger center at St. Augustine Church in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood.

Dozens of volunteer waiters carried dinners of ham, potatoes, stuffing and vegetables to the hundreds of hungry clients seated in the noisy community room beneath the church on West 14th Street.

In the kitchen, a swarm of cooks worked to prepare the food, which will also be delivered by volunteers to an estimated 5,000 elderly and handicapped persons at their homes.

Moving amidst the organized chaos, Sister Corita Ambro, the long-time Director of Programs at St. Augustine's, visited with clients and wished everyone a merry Christmas.

"I want to say thank you to all the people who helped us at Thanksgiving and all the people who are here today," said Ambro. "What a great gift it is to have each and every person here."

Ambro also appealed to the greater Cleveland community to continue to support the work of St. Augustine's hunger center beyond the holiday season.

"We serve every single day - three meals a day," she said. "So we need your help for the whole year."

Anyone wishing to help or donate to the mission of St. Augustine's can get more information at their website: staugustine-west14.org