This Thanksgiving, many organizations will provide holiday meals for those in need.
It’s a great gesture during the holidays - but there’s a year round need. Every day of the year, one in eight people here in San Diego County faces food insecurity.
Life Christian Center in Chula Vista is just one of hundreds of places that help to feed the more than 423,000 San Diegans who don't know where their next meal is coming from.
"We don't know what's going on in their lives but we know when they come here, they're going to be loved so they can leave happy," Life Christian center volunteer Raechelle Ellis told NBC 7 San Diego.
Every month, Ms. Raechelle, as everyone calls her, helps feed as many as six thousand people. Life Christian Center distributes as much as a ton of food a week.
Elizabeth Prado's family started the ministry a dozen years ago.
"I can easily say that a lot of the families that have opened up their hearts and intimately shared that some of them they just wouldn't have something to eat," Prado said.
Life Christian Center on Imperial Avenue is one of 225 partners working to reach those in need with Feeding San Diego, a non-profit that provides about 21 million meals a year in San Diego County.
"Feeding San Diego has the fresh produce and the nutritious food that is going to allow those families to stretch their budgets. And they're not having to make those difficult choices of paying for electricity or food, or paying for medical bills and getting food on their table for their kids,” said Feeding San Diego Director of Programs Kelcey Ellis.
Despite all that Feeding San Diego and other organizations do, only about half of the need is being met right now in this county. Feeding San Diego is always in need of volunteers and donations.
In fact, at times, Life Christian Center doesn't have to look farther than its own volunteers to see just how great that need is. Ms. Raechelle sometimes receives the very food she helps hand out.
"There are times when I have needs, my family, and we're so blessed with whatever we need here," Ms. Raechelle said.
Ms. Raechelle said she is like a lot of San Diego County’s working poor. Although she always had a job, she was homeless for a time. Just recently, she had double hip surgery and her doctor told her she could not work for at least a year.
But she says she found hope at Life Christian Center, and she found the courage to accept help with an open heart.
"And sometimes I'm guilty of being too proud. Not anymore," she said.
If you need help, you can find Feeding San Diego’s nearest distribution center by entering your address on their website.
"Anyone who needs food can come and get what they need, whether that's on a weekly basis or one time because you just lost your job,” Ellis said.
You don’t need to provide identification and there's no verification process.
If you would like to volunteer or donate, you can visit the Feeding San Diego website, as well.
For every dollar you donate, Feeding San Diego can get four meals out to the community.
