Volume #3
June - July 2026
In May we served 3,599 meals
As 2026 continues to speed by, we are still in awe of the generosity and team work among our serving groups. Together, we served 3,772 first-time meals in March and another 3,825 in April. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to our mission!
There is another way you can help our neighbors at 40 Prado. White Heron Sangha, a Buddhist meditation center in Avila Beach whose members regularly serve with People's Kitchen, has set up a food and toiletry pantry inside 40 Prado. They'd like to invite you to stock the pantry with snacks and toiletries whenever you are able. Please check out the pantry in the lobby of the center the next time you are there or reach out to the center via its contact info form: https://whiteheronsangha.org/content.aspx?page_id=4&club_id=222925.
In other news, we’re thrilled to share that the non-profit organization 100+ Women Who Care SLO County raised $12,000 for the People’s Kitchen. Funds will go directly to purchasing paper goods we use every time we serve. Since 2008, 100+ Women Who Care SLO County has given $350,000 to local organizations. Please join us in thanking them for their amazing generosity in support of our mission. Check out a KSBY article about the donation: https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/100-women-who-care-slo-donates-12-000-to-the-peoples-kitchen.
As always, if you need help purchasing food to support your meal service, please reach out to the People's Kitchen board.
If ou are age 701/2 (or older) you can make a gift directly from your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to People's Kitchen. A direct gift from your IRA to a non-profit is called a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). These direct gifts/QCDs are considered non-taxable income, so it is important to let your tax preparer know that you made these gifts/QCDs. QCDs can be made contacting your IRA custodian (e.g. Schwab, Fidelity, etc.).
If you have reached Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) age, QCDs reduce the RMD amount dollar for dollar, which will reduce your taxable income. QCDs could help reduce the amount of your Social Security benefits subject to income taxes and potentially reduce or prevent Medicare premium surcharges.
There are so many groups with amazing stories of their service. Share your story with us by emailing Mary Parker at mnparker539@gmail.com.
Contact Pat Beck: pbeck8833@gmail.com , phone 805-235-9712 OR
Contact Mary Parker: mnparker539@gmail.com, phone 805-440-2312
People’s Kitchen posts weekly numbers on our Facebook page; check there for the latest count.
