EAST AURORA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Only a few days ago, The Roycroft Inn in East Aurora started the Feed Your Neighbor initiative, where residents can donate a meal to a family in need.
"One of the funny things about how it got started is that, the people of East Aurora embraced it before we even got it together. People were donating from our takeout menu,"Dan Garvey, Innkeeper at The Roycroft Inn.
"This community is so generous, so absolutely wonderful, that they're willing to give up themselves to help others," said Frank Cerny, Executive Director at the Rural Outreach Center.
When someone chooses to donate a meal, it's prepared here at the restaurant, and a family style meal is then delivered to the Rural Outreach Center.
There, it will be given to families in need. Meals include a rich Mac n Cheese, Jumbo Stuffed Shells, Korean Style Meatballs and Chicken Pot Pie.
"We have over 150 people lined up in cars to be fed once a week. None of them want to be in that line. All of them would much rather be working and supporting themselves," said Cerny.
It's both a way to help people in need, and to keep as many people employed in the restaurant as possible.
Being in an orange zone means the restaurant can only offer takeout.
"This came about as a way to help increase the sales, so that we can have some people, employ a few more people, lay less people off, fewer people off," said Garvey.
And during a time where people feel as lonely as ever, it's a gesture that makes all the difference.
"A way to tell people that we're thinking of you, we love you. And from that, you've got to love East Aurora," said Garvey.
