Every Tuesday around lunchtime, Josh Knipple hands out free hot dogs to people near Central Park in downtown Johnstown.

Knipple, the pastor at Crucified Church in Woodvale, wants to reach out to the community

“There’s so many people in town here that are in need. A lot of times we don’t see that need until we spend time with them. We don’t realize how many people in town go without food, who are hungry, who a simple hotdog can mean the world to them that day,” said Knipple.

He works with other local churches and volunteers to hand out the free hot dogs, seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones.

“Just giving them that hope, that, ‘I was taken care of for a meal today’,” Knipple said.

Knipple says he’s feeding the hungry and lifting their spirits.

“To me, it shows people who are in need that people still care for them,” said Knipple. “We don’t want to just look at you and go, ‘Oh, you deserve to be in Central Park. You deserve to be on the streets.’ But actually reach out and make a difference.

Knipple hands out the hot dogs every Tuesday when the weather is warm starting around 11:30am near Franklin Street Church, which holds a food and clothing pantry on Tuesdays.