By admin 
Volunteering is just one of the many ways you can make an impact in your community during the season of giving.
The holidays are here and local nonprofits like Meals That Connect and SLO Food Bank tell KSBY they need volunteers.
Dante Martin is a dietetics intern at Meals That Connect and has also delivered food to seniors in need of assistance.
“I just say ‘Meals that connect’. My name is Dante. I’m helping deliver today,” and they say, “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 generally a positive interaction where you could see that these seniors are alone most of the time. Maybe they have a caregiver, maybe someone comes to visit, but I almost always see them alone in the house.”
However, the nonprofit is desperate for volunteers at its San Luis Obispo location.
Martin tells KSBY that volunteering creates a bond in the community.
“I have seen how great the need for volunteers is throughout the province. You know, different sites. But specifically at our location, since I help there,” says Martin. “I know how much help volunteers provide. We rely heavily on our volunteers to get these meals to the seniors, which wouldn’t be possible without them, and it really adds a nice touch to bringing the community together.”
Meals That Connect provides free, healthy midday meals to more than 1,000 seniors in San Luis Obispo County.
Meals That Connect Deputy Director Brande Brown-Puett tells KSBY that the demand for volunteers increases during the holidays.
“We have a huge need for volunteers during the holiday season,” Brown-Puett said. “The majority of the people we serve are homebound and we rely on more than 400 volunteers each year to ensure meals are delivered to these individuals. We are urgently looking for volunteers in the SLO area.”
KSBY also contacted the SLO Food Bank and found that the need for food assistance is 16% higher than last year as they now serve approximately 39,000 people each month.
They are looking for volunteers to help with their Turkey Trot event, which raises money to support their services throughout the year.
“The holidays are just around the corner,” said Andrea Keisler, Chief Operating Officer of the SLO Food Bank. “It’s one of our busiest times of year, so we need volunteers to help us get food into the community and help us with events happening in November, such as Turkey. Riding and turkey trotting.”
For more information on how you can sign up to support Meals That Connect, click here.
If you are interested in volunteering for the SLO Food Bank, click here.