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Brotherly Love: Volunteers Feeding Families

By Ukee Washington

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- August can be a tough time for children in poverty because summer programs that include meals are ending. Kids have to wait until school starts to get reduced price or free breakfasts and lunches. So a local business delivered some help.

On a hot day, volunteers lugged two vans worth of bins filled with food and children's books. Peggy Leimkuhler explained they included "a lot of canned goods, a lot of staples, cereals, oatmeal, stuff like that, for the kids who really run out of the food and books when a lot of the programs end at the end of July."

Leimkuhler and other volunteers were from Firstrust Bank. Their mascot Trusty visited to cheer them on.

"Today it's so hot out, he's about 20 degrees hotter in his suit," joked volunteer Joseph McNamara.

They delivered about 4000 pounds of food to a West Philly organization, We Never Say Never Community Center.

Leimkuhler, who is COO of Firstrust Bank, said, "Never Say Never is an amazing organization that helps distribute the food to the families that most need it to get through the month of August."

Some of the donations come from employees, and a lot from customers. Linda Lockhart, Firstrust Senior vice president of deposit operations, explained, "We started this six years ago, and every year it just grows and grows and grows. More and more customers freely bring the items in. once they see the tubs are out, they contribute willingly."

Samantha Ryder of We Never Say Never says this special delivery will help about 100 families.

"People come in here and they're so appreciative, overwhelmed with emotion, because people really are in need of food," Ryder said.

McNamara said, "We want to give back. We have our piece of the pie, and we want other people to have a piece of the pie."

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