Clasping their carts and baskets in hand, dozens of Union City residents line up and patiently wait outside of Centro de Servicios, a nonprofit community resource center.

Around 9 a.m., a food truck arrives at the center. The driver unloads boxes of fruits and vegetables, while the staff and volunteers of Centro de Servicios prepare themselves for the task ahead: distributing all that food to the patiently waiting crowd.

Every Wednesday morning, Centro de Servicios holds a free food distribution, providing low-income residents with fresh, organic produce for healthy and nutritious meals.

The weekly food distribution is just one of the center's many services. Established in the 1970s to assist low-income residents of Union City, Centro de Servicios also provides legal aide, immigration and naturalization services, parenting and literacy classes, job placement assistance and more. The center recently held a school supply drive, giving away free backpacks, notebooks, writing materials and other school necessities to Union City elementary school students.

At the food distribution, the crowd consists of diverse ethnicities, ages and walks of life. Some have been going to the center for as long as twenty years, while others have started only three months ago.

Deputy Director Carlos Vejar said they plan to extend the meaning of food distribution by building a community garden, hoping they would attract more people to get involved.

Reporter Richgail Enriquez was at the food distribution to learn more about the center and its role in the community.