MARIETTA - The past two years have not been the best for Victoria Wales. In July 2007, she said she lost her 20-year-old son, William Wales, and has been out of work as a result of a disability.

However, Christmas Day allowed her to appreciate what she does have, she said. Wales spent Friday afternoon eating a hot meal with her boyfriend, Clayton Jones, at MUST Ministries' Elizabeth Inn in Marietta. They live together in Dallas and are both unemployed.

But the couple hopes to marry soon and said they were fortunate to share Christmas with the many MUST volunteers who served meals to hundreds of homeless or needy patrons at the organization's Loaves and Fishes Community Kitchen. Jones also won a bag filled with goodies in a raffle.

"We're broke as a horse right now. We don't have any money," said Jones, 55. "It's just heaven sent for everyone."

Up to 400 people were expected to visit MUST on Friday for a Christmas meal. A long line of patrons had formed outside its facility off Cobb Parkway by the time doors opened at 11:30 a.m. As the day progressed, they each waited patiently outdoors until given the green light to enter the kitchen and eat.

The rough economic year made it one of the busiest Christmas meal events in the last 20 years the non-profit, faith-based organization has hosted them, said Annette Lee, MUST resource development coordinator.

"For some of them, this will be their only meal of the day," Lee said. "There's a different level of poverty here. People that are normally able to feed their families and buy them gifts just can't do that this year."

Rosie Echevarria, 39, of Kennesaw, organized the event for the first time. She said it took a month to plan it after she volunteered for the job in October.

"God put it in my heart to do it," said Echevarria, a member of Kennesaw United Methodist Church.

Among the food served, she said, were about 60 pounds of chicken, 15 hams, 50 pounds of rice, 60 pounds of potatoes, 60 pounds of macaroni and five trays of spoon bread, in addition to vegetables and deserts.

Virginia Nichols of Acworth was one of about 75 volunteers who helped served the meals.

"It makes me appreciate more the things that I do have, compared to looking at how many people here in Marietta alone who are homeless. It breaks my heart to see children that are homeless," said Nichols, 40.

"It's just a blessing to look at all these people coming in and eating."

Donations to MUST Ministries can be made by calling (678) 581-8090 or visiting online at www.mustministries.org.