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Organizations prepared to provide Thanksgiving day meals along the Central Coast

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CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV) --Many will be sitting down to home cooked meals this Thanksgiving. Those who are less fortunate might have some luck with some non profits stepping up to feed those in need.

The spirits are high as the holiday weekend approaches with volunteers and community members ready to give back through the comfort of food. The holiday is a time for friends and family to get together over a warm meal. It's also a time to give back.

At the Monterey County Fairgrounds, volunteers are hard at work to prep food to go for residents. Over 2,500 meals are expected to be given out to members of the community on site or through meals on wheels.

“There's a lot of homebound seniors and we do the transitional centers and the group homes and whoever needs help. We do the encampments and we do just whoever needs help,” co-chair and CFO of Community Dinner Organization Trish Jackson said.

170 turkeys have been prepped for the meal, along with stuffing, potatoes and other sides.

One volunteer has helped since the 60s for both Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

“I guess it's just one of the things that I enjoy doing and going out helping people and staying busy, staying active," volunteer Shirley said.

These meals will be served up between 12 to 2 p.m. For not only residents of Monterey, but neighboring cities such as Pacific Grove, Seaside, Carmel and Marina.

In Salinas, the American Legion Post 31 is also preparing meals for their annual event.

The military always talks about camaraderie. People come in together. A lot of the service members that we have here that run this American Legion, they know camaraderie," Army veteran Tony Virrueta said.

Meals are being served starting at 11 a.m. with the goal to serve 800 people.

"One of our members here, Chris Graham, has been cooking ten turkeys a day since Thursday last week. We’ll be serving 50 turkeys and approximately 40 hams," American Legion Post 31 post commander J.J. Hughes said.

All this effort to give back to those in the community.

“I have enough. And all these people here have enough. They just want to give back that thanksgiving and be grateful for everything that we have," Virrueta said.

A dinner will also be served by Dorothy's Place for homeless community members from 12 to 2 p.m.

Article Topic Follows: News
CENTRAL COAST
monterey
monterey county
non-profits
salinas
thanksgiving
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Sergio Berrueta

Sergio Berrueta has been in the news for quite awhile going from studying print media to entering the realm of broadcast.

Originally from Bell Gardens, California, in Southeast Los Angeles. Berrueta started his professional news career in Eureka as a newscast producer for North Coast News (now The Northstate’s News) at KAEF ABC 23 in 2022. He pivoted a year later in 2022 going from behind-the-scenes to in front of the camera as a multimedia journalist for Redwood News Channel 3 (KIEM/KVIQ) also in Eureka.

Berrueta studied journalism at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) earning his Bachelor’s Degree. Berrueta was a staff writer, page editor, social media manager and editor-in-chief of the university’s El Lenador, the only bilingual publication in all of Humboldt County.

Before moving to the North Coast, Berrueta had earned his Associate’s Degree at East Los Angeles College in 2019 after beginning his educational journey in 2012. He also was on staff for the ELAC’s publication, ELAC Campus News, having been a staff writer, page editor, and online editor.

Outside of news experience, Berrueta has also been in education as an AmeriCorps tutor in East Hollywood from 2017 to 2019 and served in a government role as a National Hometown Fellow for Lead for America with the City of Arcata in 2021.

When not focusing on news, Berrueta is an avid amateur cinephile having written about films in free time. He also writes poetry, attempting to get through a backlog of video games, enjoys visiting new places along the California Coast, and trying to keep up with the latest music and podcasts.

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