BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — They're used to cooking big meals. After all, they're Italian.
"When things go south, the Italians always like to feed everybody."
Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Nick Pitillo and his staff at Osteria 166 in downtown Buffalo have been operating a website called StockTheFreezer.com. It allows people to buy meals for themselves, their families, or donate them.
"This came across as a great idea and we went all in," Pitillo said. "We weren't sure what the orders were gonna be, and now we're cooking as fast as we can."
The website has been up and running for more than a week and in that time, more than 6,000 thousand meals have been donated.
1,000 of those meals were donated by Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas and his family. It was their way of helping the city they call home.
"This is affecting everybody," Patti Thomas said. "It's affecting all of us and it's time we unify and become one . That's the only way we're gonna get through it."
The 1,000 meals donated by the Thomas family are being delivered to various inner-city organizations that need it most. The generosity is overwhelming, but further shows that together, we're "Buffalo Strong".
"It's Buffalo, it's what we do," Thurman Thomas said. "Me and my wife love being back here and love being a part of the community and it's just been great."
"I wouldn't want to live anywhere else," Pitillo said. "It's remarkable, the people here."
Those interested in donating meals can visit www.stockthefreezer.com.
