Nonprofit kicks off Week of Hope Thanksgiving with lunch boxes, resource fair

Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast kicked off the week of hope on Thanksgiving Thursday with an outreach event at Santa Maria Foursquare Church.

During the event, organizers distributed meal boxes to hundreds of Central Coast families and hosted an on-site resource fair.

Participants were also offered legal, employment, medical and educational services within the community.

Officials say they anticipate serving 300 families during the event.

Chris Rutledge, director of Rescue Mission Alliance Central Coast, told KSBY he is optimistic about the families the nonprofit is serving.

“We see more families that need help. The beautiful thing and the kind of hopeful thing is that we see different families every year. So the families we saw last year often don’t need our help the following year,” Rutledge. said. “We meet new people, so we can introduce them to new services — great communities like Santa Maria Foursquare Church and of course all the services that the rescue mission offers.”

The organization is set to host a similar event over the holidays; the Boxed Christmas Table distribution is scheduled to take place on December 12.

More information about the non-profit’s efforts and upcoming events can be found at his website.