More than 100 people waited Tuesday afternoon at the Summit Lake Community Center for baskets that for many would mean the difference between having a Thanksgiving dinner or not.Dozens of vehicles trying to get close to the center to unload passengers in the pouring rain prevented the bus carrying the food from getting close enough to unload it.Those inside waited patiently for the traffic to clear — and eventually the turkeys, hams and chickens, plus all of the fixings for a Thanksgiving meal, arrived.The need is clearly worse today than when Michael Starks held the first food giveaway during the holidays nearly a decade ago.“When the economy takes a turn for the worse, the need takes a turn for the worse,” said Starks, who is the community organizer for the Summit Lake Neighborhood Association.The traffic congestion caused about a 45-minute delay, Starks said, but distribution then went off without a hitch.John Oden, 63, who lives in the neighborhood, said he arrived two hours early for the giveaway. He said he has been unemployed since the Borden Milk Co. on South Main Street shut down about 10 years ago.“It’s going to be a blessing,” Oden said of the food basket he had registered to receive. He and his wife, Patricia, hoped to provide Thanksgiving dinner for their family that includes 16 grandchildren.Daniel and Laura Cross of Kenmore hoped to get some extras to supplement what they were able to purchase on Daniel’s wages to feed their family, which includes their oldest son and daughter, her husband and their three children who live with them.“What with having only one income, it’s just good to have this help,” Laura Cross said.The food at the center would stretch to feed more than 200 families, said Starks, who already had delivered about 60 baskets to the elderly, shut-ins and those unable to come to the center Tuesday.He also organizes food basket giveaways for Christmas and Easter and organizes a school supply giveaway each fall.The neighborhood organization raises funds for the programs with the help of several sponsors, including the Miller Avenue United Church of Christ, Bath United Church of Christ and Hudson Community Chapel.Other sponsors include Stow-Glen Nursing Home, S.D. Myers Inc., the VanDevere Bunch and the Richland Correctional Institution Branch of the NAACP. The churches and agencies donate cash, food and gift cards, Starks said.On Tuesday, Mark Frey, pastor of Bath UCC, delivered 100 gift cards for turkeys or hams after learning they were needed.“We got a call this morning that they were short a few turkeys. We were able to come up with some help,” through their mission collections, Frey said.Jerry Pinckard and Bill Witt of Hudson Community Chapel dropped by to offer manual labor. Both men serve on the board of directors at the Miller Avenue Church.“We told the pastor we’d come down if they needed any help,” Pinckard said. The chapel has been involved with Miller Avenue Church for about nine years, he said.Starks, who has been organizing the events at the community center since they began nine years ago, became involved when the United Way of Summit County gave the neighborhood association a grant to pay for an organizer. Those days are long gone, said Starks, who volunteers his time for the center.“I was born in the Summit Lake community,” he said. “That’s the irony of it.”His affection for the people he helps plays out in the patience he exhibits during a constant string of interruptions from people seeking his attention — whether they are looking for help or to just want to say hello.“You’ll see, those in need are a bit more anxious than those who aren’t. To assist them, you have to have a sense of patience,” Starks said.“And, I pray a lot.”Kathy Antoniotti can be reached at 330-996-3565 or kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.