YOUNGSTOWN — Between the snow, social distancing and church services being mostly canceled in recent weeks by the COVID-19 pandemic, Friday didn’t feel much like Good Friday — but the Salvation Army and Second Harvest Food Bank did their best to help people prepare for Easter.

The large number of people whose vehicles lined the streets around the South Side complex received produce such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, watermelon, oranges and sweet corn, plus a nice-sized pork roast, milk and a variety of other items, including an Easter egg from Giannios Candy.

And to make the job of distributing the items into the vehicles easier, another army — the Ohio Army National Guard — provided eight personnel. All wore masks in an effort to fight the spread of the virus, as did many of the recipients of the food.

The generous offerings brightened the day for people in well over 100 vehicles.

“I just got laid off from my job, and I have two boys to take care of,” said Melissa Santiago of Youngstown, one of the recipients.

“I filed for unemployment, so it might be a while till I get benefits. So any help I can get is most appreciated,” she said.

She’ll be preparing an Easter dinner Sunday, but it will be smaller than normal.

“I won’t have all my family together, just my immediate family,” she said.

Maryann Scanell of Youngstown said she frequently comes out to receive food when it’s offered because she knows she can use it, and she knows other people who also need some help.

“When there’s food, I just go and then I help other people and myself,” she said.

From what she could see from the car, she was impressed by the watermelon and the enormous size of the sweet potatoes.

“It was great,” she said.

Guardsman Adam Moody said he’s from Youngstown, so getting the chance to help out his hometown felt good.

“I love this. I like to be able to help my neighbors. That’s why I joined the guard in the first place,” Moody said.

The Guard has been in town in recent weeks helping with food distributions and assisting with logistics in Mahoning County, one of the most hard-hit counties in the state.

Paul Moore, a Salvation Army area coordinator, said the organization was prepared to provide food for 130 vehicles.

The Salvation Army has seen a “significant increase in the number of people in need of food” since the pandemic hit, the organization said in a news release. It distributed nearly 40,000 pounds of food provided by Second Harvest Food Bank in Mahoning County during the first quarter this year, compared to approximately 13,000 pounds in the first three months of 2019.

“We’ve seen some families who haven’t been here in years,” Moore said. “Many are in desperate need of food assistance.”

Food distributions occur every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon at 1501 Glenwood Ave. in Youngstown.

Second Harvest Food Bank supports six Salvation Army posts throughout Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.