“I have always been taught to help others,” said Linda Ramelot, a Catholic Charities Curbside grab-and-go meal volunteer. “We are so fortunate to be able to meet and speak to our community affected by Covid-19,” said Ramelot. “Now that school districts have a huge responsibility of providing essential nutrition to those in need it feels great to be able to be part of the community who can lend a helping hand.”

Linda Ramelot and her husband Mike have been volunteering at Catholic Charities for 10 years and have a wonderful time giving back to their community.

Many families who have recently been affected with the shelter-in-place are very grateful for the assistance they are receiving from Catholic Charities and Second Harvest Food Bank. Community members know there is a place where they can go and receive essential nutritious food such as milk, fruit, vegetables and meat to feed their families.

During the last several months, the demand for food has greatly increased. However, when the Shelter-in-Place (SIP) requirements were first implemented, sites had to close. That left many families seeking resources during through this time of uncertainty without a place to go to.

For example, a site like St. Paul's Pantry, a food pantry with Catholic Charities, was forced to close amid the Shelter-in-place requirements. Before the SIP, community members were allowed to come into St. Paul's to shop for food. Unfortunately, SIP did not allow community members to come in and shop.

With the food demand quickly increasing, Catholic Charities and other non-profits had to update their services using CDC guidelines. New procedures had to be put in place to allow food insecurities to be addressed in a safe manner.

And they did.

Community non-profits, churches, and neighbors have now stepped up to the plate to assist their communities. It is an “All-Hands on Deck” mentality with everyone working together to get us through this time of uncertainty.

However, this support could not be done without volunteers at each site. They are the community pillars needed to support these efforts. They give their time and resources to help their fellow residents and are the “heartbeat” of the community.

Here is an inside look at the volunteer support it takes and is required to help our families:

• Pallets of food for distribution are delivered and VOLUNTEERS are needed to unload the pallets.
• A second group of VOLUNTEERS are needed to help set-up tarps and tables so that the bags/boxes of food go under the tarps to keep them protected from the heat.
• The third group of VOLUNTEERS open the doors or trunks of the recipient receiving the food. (This group of volunteers strictly only open and close the doors and trunks of the vehicle).
• The fourth group of VOLUNTEERS will load the bags/boxes of food into the vehicle with “no contact” with the recipient.
• As for the fifth group of VOLUNTEERS, they are in charge of traffic control to keep the vehicles moving safely and smoothly.

The entire contactless food distribution takes a village of volunteers to run. The priority of the volunteers is to help feed the community, but at the same time to keep everyone safe and healthy.

“Working together unites us all and strengthens our community. This is how we build a strong and healthy community. We are all in this together. Let us be part of the solution,” said Ramelot.

Right now, volunteers are needed and always welcome. Without community volunteers, food distributions during these times would not be possible. There are many sites you can volunteer at with Catholic Charities.

Visit www.catholiccharitiesscc.org for more information and to sign up as a volunteer, please text your name and number to 408-420-6905.

If you are in need of food assistance, please visit GetCalFresh.org to request or call 1-877-847-3663 (FOOD) to connect with your County Social Services Officer. You can also go to Second Harvest of Silicon Valley shfb.org/getfood or call 1-800-984-3663 and one of their Food Connection Specialists can help you find out if you qualify.