PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — On Wednesday morning, hundreds of cars pulled into the parking lot of McCoy Stadium but they weren’t there to watch some baseball.

The Ocean State Job Lot Charitable Foundation along with Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien held a drive-through food distribution event.

“There’s a lot of gratitude, there’s a lot of partnership, there’s a lot of camaraderie. This is a community,” PawSox Vice Chairman David Sarlitto said.

The operation had more than 20 pallets’ worth of perishable and non-perishable goods from more than a dozen distributors to hand out to city residents.

“I was amazed at all the vehicles,” Grebien said. “It’s good that it’s coming together, but it’s also the reality of the times we’re in and these people need the support.”

“I expect we are probably going to do at least 500 to 1,000 cars here,” Sarlitto added.

Needing a parking lot for distribution and a facility to store the food, Sarlitto said he contacted his friend Mike Tamburro with the PawSox for help.

“To be able to fill that need is heartwarming, it really and truly is,” Tamburro said.

It took about 24 hours to get the operation up and running, according to Sarlitto.

“There are a lot of giving people, and there are many more in these lines who never thought they would be there,” he said.

Each year, the Ocean State Job Lot Foundation provides more than 12 million meals through its Three Square Meals program to food bank and pantry partners across the Northeast.

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