Posted Aug. 23, 2016 at 2:41 PM
Updated Aug 23, 2016 at 6:19 PM

NEW BEDFORD — November is a few months away, but city resident Lynne Carnivale said “Happy Thanksgiving” on Saturday to hundreds of people who came through a food line outside the Salvation Army building downtown, where Carnivale and others served free, heaping portions of turkey, stuffing, pasta, kale with bacon and more.

Carnivale said there were literal and figurative meanings for the greeting, which she gave over and over again, as people held out plates.

“We’re serving that style of food,” she said. “And we’re thankful. We’re thankful that the Lord provides.”

Carnivale was one of several volunteers who cooked and served at the weekly event in the Salvation Army parking lot, where hot meals and a variety of clothes have been distributed for free at 11:30 a.m. every Saturday since June 2015.

The outreach is organized through Praise and Worship (PAW) Ministries, led by city resident Gus Barboza, Carnivale’s brother. Volunteers meet every Wednesday to plan, spend hours cooking meals in the industrial kitchen at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church on Kempton Street, and work with Mobile Loaves and Fishes.

As lines of people awaiting food stretched around the parking lot Saturday, Barboza pointed out the several personal vehicles that he, family members and friends use to haul chairs, tables, bags of donated clothes, piles of covered dishes and more.

Barboza, a 51-year-old who runs businesses including Gustomized Signs & Glass Tinting and Gus-T-Winds Stunt Kites, has some big dreams for expanding his ministry’s services for the needy and homeless.

He’s trying to raise $200,000, for a mobile home that could consolidate the work of several cars and provide a place for homeless people to use a fully equipped bathroom.

“I’m shooting for stars here,” Barboza said. “I’m looking to raise money for a converted mobile home where I can do everything I’m doing now, with the addition of being able to let people take showers.”

Barboza is trying to raise donations through a “PAW Mobile” campaign on www.gofundme.com, with promotion on the PAW Ministries Facebook page.

The gofundme campaign had raised $85 as of Monday afternoon. A description on the page says that in addition to streamlining food and clothing distribution, the mobile home, “will also be a church on wheels, with a complete sound system for music ministry and bringing The Word of God!”

Two leaders in local efforts to serve the homeless said Monday that they weren’t familiar with Barboza specifically, but praised the efforts of Mobile Loaves and Fishes and volunteers who help that group provide food for the needy.

Bruce Morell, executive director of local social services organization People Acting in Community Endeavors (PACE), raised questions about the idea of a $200,000 campaign to provide showers.

“The bigger issue is, we’ve got to get these people into housing,” Morell said. “I’m not sure that getting a trailer where people can shower is the proper answer.”

Rev. David Lima, executive minister of the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford, said inclement weather and wintertime heating concerns could make mobile showers “an ambitious goal” for PAW Ministries.

“I am not aware of anybody that’s done that locally,” Lima said. “What you need to tie into it is connecting people to services.”

Barboza said getting homeless people off the streets and into homes, with jobs, is a large part of PAW Ministries’ mission. He said the ministry works with two New Bedford employment agencies — HW Staffing Solutions and Roberts Joseph Staffing — to find work for people who are trying to turn their lives around.

Beverly Cardin, secretary and organist at St. Paul’s church, said PAW Ministries volunteers work hard to serve the needy.

“I think it’s wonderful what they do. They come in and cook here, every week,” Cardin said. “They also collect the clothing that we don’t use in our Mobile Loaves and Fishes (outreach)…I admire very much what that group does.”