CITY OF NEWBURGH - Diana King, a lifelong Newburgh resident and 1993 Newburgh Free Academy graduate, just couldn’t bear it when she saw homeless people panhandling on Broadway.

“It hurt my heart,” she said.

She vowed that if she ever came into some money, she’d do something about it. Then, about a week ago, King made up her mind to hand out food, money or not.

So this past Monday, she started her project to help the homeless. She put out the word on Facebook. The owner of the Imperial Hotel at 316 Broadway said she could use the space in front of the hotel. Local eateries quickly stepped up to donate food.

“They were great when I told them what I was doing,” King said.

With the pledges rolling in, she signed up her daughter, Marissa, and six friends to help organize the event. They handed out fliers, up and down Broadway.

About 20 people were lined up when the giveaway on Broadway began at 2 p.m. Saturday. King and her helpers were ready with stacks of boxes of pizza, plus chicken, watermelon, doughnuts, soda and bottled water.

For Raymond Dias, who spent six years homeless in Paterson, N.J., then made his way to Newburgh, the food made a big difference. The churches that distribute free food in Newburgh schedule fewer meals on weekends. “This was a nice, early supper,” Dias said as he munched on pizza and watermelon.

Aspacio Alcantara, who said his home is “the Earth,” and has been living on the streets in Newburgh for “a year and a day,” said the giveaway came at just the right time. “We need more of this,” Alcantara said.

Folks weren’t just getting free food. Planned Parenthood volunteers handed out about 75 condoms, a health insurance representative from a Poughkeepsie firm talked to passers-by about affordable health insurance, and Farrah Brooks, who collects clothing for donation, set up a table. “It’s a one-stop center for free,” Brooks said.

More donations kept coming in Saturday. Howard Johnson of Middletown had taken the bus over to meet his daughter. When he saw the crowd, he stopped by, found out what it was all about, and contributed $20 worth of food. Johnson said it was divine intervention that put him there.

“This is what God wants us to do, help people,” he said.

When it was all over, King said, about 100 people had stopped by, and her group had distributed 102 boxes of pizza, 30 pieces of chicken, 150 doughnuts, and a lot more. She said she might organize another giveaway just before back-to-school time.

“This isn’t the end of me,” she said as she opened another box of pizza.

dbayne@th-record.com