An hour before free meals were to be distributed, the line of cars spilled out of the parking lot of Baratta's Restaurant and onto South Union Street.  The restaurant was shut down for the day until 3 p.m. Employees were focused on one goal: Make enough food for more than 1,000 people.

On Monday, the Italian restaurant served 300 family meals, each capable of feeding four to six people, to families on Des Moines' south side. As cars pulled up to the restaurant, employees exchanged the meals for smiles and thank yous.