DURHAM, NC — For a little extra summer cash, Demosthenes “Demo” Megaloudis, 12, and his brother Alexandrous “Alex,” 11, often help their parents take orders and load supplies onto Gussy’s Greek Food truck.

But on Tuesday, they were donating their time. Following through on an idea inspired by their father and their parish, St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church of Durham – the boys helped serve a free lunch dedicated to the men trying to restart their lives at Durham Rescue Mission.

Although they had served with the food truck at St. Barbara, they wanted to do something more. They considered a homeless shelter as as an ideal, and landed on Durham since their family is heavily invested in the city.

Along with three other food trucks, Stuft, Chick-N-Que, and Not Just Icing, Gussy’s Greek Food gave away a total of 210 meals of barbecue, gourmet potatoes, gyros and cupcakes from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Spotty rain showers did not deter the men, who stood in steady lines in the East Main Street campus parking lot for the food before returning to class at the mission or to shifts at work.

During the past few years, food trucks have become a fixture of the Triangle, growing in rapid numbers and creating a family-like community, said Gus Megaloudis, owner of Gussy’s Greek Food.

Apparently, they are a family characterized by being eager to serve, donating a day’s wages and a truckload of $5 to $8 meals.

Not Just Icing served around 180 of their $3 cupcakes in less than two hours.

“I made four calls, and I got four trucks,” said Megaloudis, although one truck’s generator died at the last minute.

Megaloudis said that the day cost him about $500 to $600 in meals.

“There are some things money cannot make you feel,” Megaloudis said.

The giveaway saved the mission about $430 the center would have spent on the men’s lunch. Tony Gooch, director of developmental operations at the mission, said summers can be difficult as the food banks become lower on food and donations slow when people leave for vacation.