Since 2010 husband and wife team, Greg and Mary Lou Shirilla have spent their Friday's volunteering at the  Second Harvest Food Bank to help feed the Valley.

"[It] gives you a good feeling that you are helping people and you become more aware of people that are suffering," Greg Shirilla said.  

The couple set their hearts on helping the food bank, since retiring from their careers 13 years ago. The couple along with a handful of volunteers spend hours of their time organizing and packing donated food to decrease hunger in the Valley.

The couple said that over 13 years the number of people in need of food has increased, but so has community awareness about hunger.

"The community has been more open and more aware of what's going on. And a lot of people have volunteered and a lot of people are [donating] more food." Shirilla told 21 News reporter Leslie Huff.

In 2022, Second Harvest provided over 9.5 million meals locally.

The Shirilla's say the experience has been rewarding and for the rest of their retirement they hope to continue working alongside their friends and inspire more people to volunteer at the food bank.

"We've had volunteers in the past that worked well into their 80s and I've gotten inspiration from them." Shirilla said. 

Since 1982The Second Harvest Food bank has helped alleviate hunger throughout the Mahoning Valley.