Feed the People Food Pantry, a Bridgeport nonprofit group, provided hot meals, clothes, care packages and toys during its first ever Community Christmas celebration.

Organizers said having a place to be, even for only a few hours, was just as important.

“We walk right past each other and sometimes we don’t even see who we’re looking at,” said Rozha Pessoa, co-chair for Feed the People. “Today is a special day for us to let people know that they are seen, especially for the holidays. The kids, the parents, everybody.”

Feed The People was born during the pandemic. Three years later, organizers said it is still a leading contributor when it comes to the level of need in the area.

“You cut off people’s access to being able to provide for themselves as they normally can, and you find yourself in a struggling position,” said Pessoa. “Sometimes a lot of people don’t know what to do with that and they can’t recover.”

Pessoa told News 12 that they offered people a restaurant-style experience that gave “a sense of humanity.”

Even as aspirations and success within the organization grow, events like this ensure the team doesn’t forget their roots.

“We want to stay here. We want to build in Bridgeport,” said Pessoa.