The GLIDE organization partnered with San Francisco's House of Prime Rib Tuesday to offer a special lunch for those in need on Christmas Eve, church officials said.
Joe Betz, owner of the House of Prime Rib restaurant, served 3,700 pounds of prime rib Tuesday.
"Hunger is hunger, and you have to have been hungry once before in life to understand what hungry is all about," Betz said.
"After World War II, growing up in Germany, there was no food," he said.
Hunger, he said, can happen to anyone.
"I'm grateful where I am, so this is just one of the reasons why we do it. To give back."
GLIDE Minister of Celebration Marvin K. White echoed Betz's sentiments.
"We believe that everybody, particularly in this season, should have a warm belly full of food," White said.
Mayor London Breed and California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis joined to participate, and both agreed that the the needs of those being served by GLIDE boils down to one thing: housing.
GLIDE provides thousands of meals every day, even taking meals out to shelters and encampments. The food donated by House of Prime Rib was about five to 10 times the amount that would be served on a regular night for dinner.
