A food giveaway at a San Jose church Thursday drew so many people, it stopped traffic on Highway 87 and forced street closures.
The stunning surge in demand for food at The Cathedral of Faith paints a clear picture of the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
"I had a lady with four kids in the car and she says to me, 'I'm a waitress, and I have no food,'" Cathedral of Faith Pastor Jim Gallagher said.
Alejandro Iglesias, who recently lost her job, was one of the many people who went to the church for help.
"Everything is tough now," she said. "Everything is closed now."
The Cathedral of Faith hands out food boxes twice a week to roughly 400 families. On Thursday, roughly 2,000 families turned out looking for help -- something the church did not expect.
"It breaks my heart," Gallagher said. "In my own family I have five children. Three of them are out of work right now. They all got laid off this week. So they're moving home. It's very scary."
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