On Thursday evening, Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast kicked off its "Christmas Week of Hope" with an event at Santa Maria Foursquare Church.
Volunteers distributed boxes filled with enough food to feed a 10-person household.
Organizers say the Christmas Meals in a Box specifically benefited low-income families in the community.
The organization reportedly planned to serve around 400 people by 6 p.m.
"Every year, we see more and more people who are in need. One of the neat things is we're seeing different people [in] need. So, the families who joined us last year are a little bit better off. They don't need this kind of support. And we're seeing new families who say they need that extra support," Chris Rutledge, the director of Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast, told KSBY.
At the organization's Thanksgiving event in November, organizers say they served 375 people; even more were expected at Thursday's event.
Nearly 100 volunteers helped Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast execute this year's events, according to Rutledge.
