Dozens of turkeys were donated to local families in need on Nov. 16, when Golden State Water Company staff in Santa Maria transferred the frozen birds from a company truck into one owned by Catholic Charities that morning.
Food donations are an important part of the services that Catholic Charities provides in the community, explained David Coelho, the client services regional coordinator for the organization.
“People need this food to survive on,” Coelho said. “This is not going to just be holiday fare, this will be table fare to feed their families. It’s substantial for them to meet a vital need.”
The water agency gets involved in food drives around Thanksgiving every year, explained Mark Zimmer, Golden State’s general manager for the coastal district. The local office participates in the company’s “Operation Gobble,” which works to provide support organizations with quality food donations.
They’ve worked with Catholic Charities for “a number of years,” Zimmer explained, to help feed families in Santa Maria.
“We always want to work with all of our public officials, we welcome them and encourage them to join in,” Zimmer said. “I think it’s just a great way for us to come together as community leaders and help our community and ensure that everyone has a good, warm dinner at this time.”
Santa Maria Mayor Alice Patino was at the donation on Nov. 16 as well, and said she was there to help and raise awareness of programs like Catholic Charities, Good Samaritan Shelter, and the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County that accept food donations.
Patino said it was “important that members of the community that do have the resources give to the less fortunate.”
“It’s all part of our community,” she added. “We like giving to those that, maybe they’re down and out or don’t have the resources this year, but they’re in need of that dinner.”
The Santa Maria office of Golden State Water donated 52 turkeys to Catholic Charities that day, but Zimmer said the agency donates around 600 in SLO and Santa Barbara counties each year.
Coelho with Catholic Charities said that holiday-time donations like the one from Golden State are a huge help, and that donations throughout the year are needed too.
“We’re grateful to receive this assistance, but people have needs all year round,” Coelho said. “We’re very grateful to Golden State Water, and the attention that Mayor Alice Patino takes to see that Catholic Charities is able to provide for others.”
This article appears in Nov 22-29, 2018.