A Catholic priest in Lawrence, Massachusetts, said the Cor Unum meal Center that the parish opened in 2006 helps ensure that community members experiencing hunger would have meals when needed.

In a report by CBS News Boston, Fr. Paul O'Brien of the St. Patrick's Catholic Church explained that they established the local meal center in response to the hunger problem in the community. O'Brien disclosed that as much as 75% of local children experience hunger on any given day.

Meals for the Hungry

CBS News Boston reported that Cor Unum Meal Center prepares 250,000 meals annually. It also employs volunteers to run the center, some of whom were linked with the non-profit restaurant from way back.

"There are many adults that volunteer at Cor Unum and they say to me, that when I was a kid, my mom would bring me to the restaurant and it was a great night out and we could do it whenever we wanted. I never knew that it was for free," WBZ-TV quoted Father O'Brien saying.

The Lawrence meal center the parish runs reportedly hands out free, freshly-cooked food to the hungry. But the meals are not just any meals, O'Brien said.

"We started Cor Unum because in Lawrence hunger is a huge social issue. Up to 75 percent of children in Lawrence on any given day are at risk for hunger. Because people who have the least, don't just deserve a handout, I believe they deserve the very best," he added.

'Good Free Meal'

The Catholic priest explained that there is enough good food for everyone in the country, which people are willing to drive a few miles just to enjoy.

"There's more than enough food in the United States of America, not frozen food and not crappy food, superb food. So, if you build a place and a system in which people who have that food know that they can contribute it to people who are hungry, guess what, they do," O'Brien told WBZ-TV.

He added that many of their meal center's beneficiaries were willing to drive a considerable distance to enjoy the free meals they provide. O'Brien explained that while gas prices are high, good food costs are still higher than the former.

The Lawrence priest surmised that people regularly travel to their meal center to help save money for their monthly bills.

About St. Patrick's Cor Unum Meal Center

According to its website, the Cor Unum Meal Center commits itself to "the truth that no man, woman, or child should ever be hungry."

The meal center reportedly first served meals on Sept. 30, 2006, and offered more than two million fresh meals in its first decade. It still exists due to the generosity of volunteers extending services and financial assistance to the meal center.

The center's staff comprises volunteers tasked with greeting, assisting, and serving guests as they enjoy their meals. Some volunteers handle the kitchen, prepare the ingredients, and wash the dishes and kitchen utensils.

Guests in the meal center can eat as much as they want from the array of salads, bread, entrees, soups, beverages, and desserts the center serves.

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