PECKVILLE -- What had hundreds of people filling a parking lot and waiting for hours in Lackawanna County? It wasn't the newest smart phone or gaming system, it's the ingredients for a Thanksgiving dinner.
"Through the year we run maybe between 300 and 400 families at the most, on a holiday like this it's always more," said Basil Jayne, a member of Peckville Assembly of God Church.
Peckville Assembly of God runs food distributions at its building every other week. They hit a record high on the day before Thanksgiving.
"I hope they give me a turkey so I can fix it! It would be the first one I've made in so many years," said Elaine Oakley.
Oakley was already signed up for the distribution but still showed up early saying the food baskets will help create a Thanksgiving meal she wouldn't have otherwise had.
"Because I'm on a fixed income and it doesn't go very far. You pay your bills and you've got a couple of dollars to live on afterwards," she added.
Since Peckville Assembly of God does food distributions twice a month, the volunteers have it down to a science. Each car is registered and then lined up first come, first serve. But they took one look at the parking lot Wednesday and they knew they were going to run out of food.
"It makes me feel good in a way, but in another way, there are so many people who need the food and we don't realize it until we see it ourselves," Jayne added.
Church members spent hours the day before organizing a warehouse full of food. Some of it is bought with private grant money, some of it is donated. All of it will go to good use.
William Kneller waited for two hours to get food for his daughters.
"They're both working and their husbands, but when you have six kids it's difficult to make ends meet," he said.
Peckville Assembly of God expected to feed about 500 families with the distribution, nearly double their average.
"If you were never a believer before, this will make you a believer. I never saw such an amount of charity in one place," Kneller added.