'It's a blessing': Community serves meals to people in need on Christmas in Downtown Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- For the 17th straight year, volunteers and an entire community came together to deliver a Christmas meal to those in need in Downtown Raleigh.

"I'm totally grateful to be here," said Pamela Williams, who lives in a hotel. "I'm so glad they came out, I'm so appreciative."

She traveled to Moore Square to get a new coat and a meal despite the bitter cold.

"The food was good, the friendship was good, everything is wonderful," she said. "It's a blessing to have these things for people that don't have."

Mary Brown is the woman behind the mask and the person behind the event for as long as it's been around. Years ago, she noticed it was easy for people to get a meal on Thanksgiving but not Christmas. Brown partnered with various restaurants like Winston's Grille and Margaux's for this one.

"This is not about Mary Brown, this is about every individual who comes out here and helps and puts their Christmas on hold to help people who are in need," she said.

Normally the line for the event would stretch around the corner of City Market but organizers said attendance Sunday was lower because a number of area shelters allowed people to stay inside for longer periods of the day.

"This is a village of people getting together who care and want to see them have good, that's what this is about," Brown said.

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