SPECIAL DELIVERIES
‘Get Stuffed with Love’ distributes Thanksgiving meals
Volunteers gathered on 19th Street on Thursday outside St. Mary’s Holy Assumption Orthodox Church on the South Side for the 19th year of “Get Stuffed with Love.” As winter breath created clouds in the sunlight and people gathered around a cozy space heater, police officers and other volunteers loaded box after box into police vans.
“Get Stuffed with Love” delivers meals to families in need all around Pittsburgh, and this year had the second-highest number of orders with at least 3,832 deliveries expected.
Christine Luffey, a police officer who lives in Beechview, was sitting in the Zone 3 office 16 years ago when one of her bosses stormed in and said, “We don’t have enough time to do all these deliveries. You’re in charge now!” Ever since that moment, Officer Luffey has run the program.
“I inherited it, and I’m glad I did, because it’s the best
“I inherited it, and I’m glad I did, because it’s the best program in the world.”
— Pittsburgh police Officer Christine Luffey
program in the world,” she said.
Aundre Wright, another Pittsburgh police officer, drove to Knoxville and Carrick to deliver a slew of meals. In the back of the van preparing the right number of meals were Katrina Luffey, Officer Luffey’s 18year- old daughter; Bella Malloy, 16, of Mount Washington; and Kayla Suhoski, 32, of Allentown.
Katrina Luffey has been volunteering with “Get Stuffed With Love” since she was 2, when her mother inherited the program. When she was 8, she helped start a similar program that delivers meals during Christmas for people experiencing homelessness. She said she prefers to do volunteer work during the holidays instead of being at home.
Officer Wright has been involved in the program for six years, saying that it’s a stress-relieving break from the norm.
“You’re not showing up on the worst day of someone’s life,” he said, calling the program therapeutic for officers, who are exposed to crises every day at their jobs. “I look forward to it. Even if I were to get a different assignment, I’d still try to make my way back, paid or unpaid.”
“Get Stuffed with Love” is also an important way to build community, Officer Wright said. For one house he delivered a meal to, he said he had responded to hundreds of calls there in the past three years.
“I have a vested interest in the community,” he said. “You got to earn trust by doing the little things.”
Officer Wright has given people rides and dropped off food on other days if a family he knows calls into the office hungry.
“You should do your job as if it was your family. If it was my mother calling, I’d go as far as I can, because I have the power to do that,” he said.
Shortly after the delivery, he left to play basketball in a Turkey Bowl: “I’m not here to police, I’m here to play.”
Officer Wright and Officer Luffey also spoke about a shift in mental health and need in the past couple of years.
“I’ve talked to a number of people who feel hopeless and feel like the world is crumbling,” Officer Luffey said.
There were 4,283 meals delivered throughout the city in 2020, a record number of meal requests.
Officer Luffey received two calls requesting meals this year she said pulled on her heartstrings. One was from a woman receiving dialysis treatment who could not cook for her family. Another was a mother with a son who had been experiencing homelessness and had recently found a small apartment, but hadn’t eaten in four days.
“I told her we will definitely be delivering food on Thanksgiving,” she said.
When the program was small enough that she could deliver meals herself, Officer Luffey said people would hug her, cry or tell her that if it weren’t for “Get Stuffed with Love,” they wouldn’t have food on Thanksgiving.
“That’s what keeps me coming back,” she said. “It’s a part of me and my daughter’s lives.”
Mandy Frommeyer and her two kids, Melanie, 11, and Nick, 13, heard about the event through their church and decided to volunteer by helping to package meals for the event.
“I’m pretty happy; I know it will help a lot of people,” Melanie said. “It’s a great way to spend Thanksgiving.” The family said they plan to come back next year if they have the opportunity.
On the delivery run with Officer Wright, one family received 14 Thanksgiving meals. Nejwa Bouya’s son, Nassim, had brought home a flyer about “Get Stuffed with Love” from his second grade class. It was their first time participating, and they said they didn’t know what to expect, but they appreciated the delivery.
“Anything that can help is good,” Ms. Bouya said.