SOUTH BEND, Ind.

Dozens of volunteers with Hope Ministries gave out hundreds of meals to those less fortunate on Thursday. Around 120 volunteers showed up to help.

The first volunteers arrived at Hope Ministries at midnight on Thursday to help prepare around 80 turkeys. Other volunteers came in as early as 5 a.m. to cook and put meals together.

At 10:45 Thursday morning the food was loaded into cars and vans to distribute. Many of the meals were given out at the 100 Center Hi-Rise Apartments in Mishawaka. 

"It makes you feel good, kind of warm and fuzzy inside, as you’re talking with people and some people invite us into their homes and you can just tell that they’re very friendly and they love what we do," said Bill Neal, a volunteer. He and his family have been volunteering with Hope Ministries for more than five years.

Volunteers say the warm reception that they received from recipients was worth every minute of preparation.

It brings us some great joy because we get to see the smiles on people’s faces when they open the door and they’re like “'Oh wow! This is great! No one has visited me today,'" said Dom Cataldo, another volunteer. "It’s a great opportunity for us to make somebody else happy so it’s exciting."