A Bridgeport family who recently lost their loved one to cancer is asking for the public's help finishing a job he started.

The Thomas Merton Center in Bridgeport feeds thousands of people every month. During the pandemic, city officials say it performed the vital function of keeping many families from going hungry.

Anthony Mobilio, who passed away from cancer in January, was a big supporter of the Merton Center.

Mobilio was the owner of Mobilio & Son Heating and Cooling. The last job he agreed to do was to install a new boiler for the charity.

Carol Mobilio says her brother was an extraordinary man who always thought of others and got the job done no matter what obstacles were in the way.

“Growing up without our parents, we had this bond that was amazing," she says. "We were praying for a miracle until the very end, and we never gave up hope."

Mobilio's nephews carried on the job in memory of their uncle.

"I think it's just special to give back where you come from, and you never forget what you come from, and I think that's important," says Shawn Mobilio, Anthony's nephew.

The Mobilio family is asking the community to come together to help the Merton Center pay for the boiler.

"We want to raise money for the Merton Center, we want to dedicate the boiler in his memory," says Carol Mobilio.

Bill Colson, who heads the Merton Center, says this fundraising effort could have an enormous impact. He says it could help the nonprofit continue serving some of the most vulnerable members of the Bridgeport community.

"It's really going to pay great benefits to us and what we do here at the Thomas Merton Center," Colson says.