Volunteering is just one of the many ways you can make an impact in your community during the season of giving.
The holiday season is here and local nonprofits like Meals That Connect and SLO Food Bank tell KSBY they need volunteers.
Dante Martin is a dietetic intern with Meals That Connect and has also delivered food to seniors in need of assistance.
“I just say ‘Meals That Connect. My name's Dante. I'm helping deliver today,’ and they're like, ‘I'm so excited to see you. Thank you for what you do. I'm excited to eat this meal today,'” Martin said. “It's overall positive interaction where you could tell that these seniors are mostly alone. Maybe they have a caretaker, maybe someone comes and visits them, but I almost always see them alone in their home.”
However, the nonprofit is desperately seeking volunteers at its San Luis Obispo location.
Martin tells KSBY that volunteering creates a bond in the community.
“I've seen how big of a need there is for volunteers around the county. You know, different sites. But specifically at our site, since I have been helping there,” said Martin. “I know how much of a help that volunteers are. We do rely heavily on our volunteers to get those meals to seniors, which wouldn't be possible without them, and it really adds this nice touch as far as bringing the community together.”
Meals That Connect provides free, healthy, noontime meals to over 1,000 seniors throughout San Luis Obispo County.
Meals That Connect Deputy Director Brande Brown-Puett tells KSBY that the demand for volunteers increases during the holiday season.
“During the holiday season, we have a huge need for volunteers,” said Brown-Puett. “The ... majority of the people that we serve are homebound and we rely on over 400 volunteers a year to ensure that meals are being delivered to these individuals. Specifically in the SLO area, we are desperately seeking volunteers.”
KSBY also reached out to the SLO Food Bank and learned the need for food assistance is 16% higher than last year as they’re now serving about 39,000 individuals every month.
They are searching for volunteers to assist with their Turkey Trot event, which helps raise funds to support their services throughout the entire year.
“The holiday season is upon us,” said Andrea Keisler, SLO Food Bank's chief operating officer. “It's one of our busiest times of the year, and so we have a need for volunteers to come out and help us both to help us get food out into the community as well as help us with events that are upcoming in November, like Turkey Drive and Turkey Trot.”
For more information on how you can sign up to assist Meals That Connect, click here.
If you’re interested in volunteering for the SLO Food Bank, click here.
