Open Heart Kitchen Seeks Donations for Holiday Season

Announcement submitted by Open Heart Kitchen:

Open Heart Kitchen (OHK), the only hot meal program in the Tri-Valley area, is appealing to Tri-Valley residents and businesses to donate funds that will be used to purchase frozen turkeys and fixings for Tri-Valley families in need during the upcoming holiday season. More than 1,500 turkeys are needed to meet the need of the region’s hungry each holiday season.

To facilitate donations during the busy holiday season, OHK will use an online program launched last year. To access the Holiday Meal Drive page on the Open Heart Kitchen website, please visit http://www.openheartkitchen.org/holiday-meal-drive/ and click on the red DONATE NOW! button to make your holiday contribution. To donate by check, please send checks to Open Heart Kitchen, 1141 Catalina Drive, Mailbox #137, Livermore, CA 94550. All donations are tax deductible.

“The new donation site offers convenience to the generous community that supports the Open Heart mission to feed the hungry. Last year, donors helped to fund more than 18,600 meals and 750 holiday food bags that were distributed to families in need during the holiday season in November and December,” said OHK Executive Director Linda McKeever.

The online Holiday Meal Drive site provides donors with several options: a $20 donation that will provide a turkey for a local family, a $50 donation that provides a turkey and ingredients for a full holiday meal for a local family, and a $250 donation that will provide a turkey and full holiday meal for five local families. For a limited time, an anonymous donor will match each meal donated by donating an additional meal!

Those who prefer to deliver a turkey and/or fixings directly to OHK are also encouraged to participate. Frozen turkey and holiday fixing donations can be delivered to the dining room of Ridgeview Commons Senior Center, located at 5200 Case Avenue, Monday through Friday from 10: 30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

“The optimal size is a 10-14 pound turkey that can feed a family with some leftovers,” according to McKeever. “The associated non-perishable holiday meal fixings are also very much appreciated during this time, such as stuffing mix, canned pumpkin, and cranberry sauce, etc.”

For more information about food donations to Open Heart Kitchen, please contact the Operations Director at (925) 580-6793.

Open Heart Kitchen feeds the hungry every weekday as an interfaith effort, and serves more than 313,000 meals annually. There is no qualifying process to receive meals. Meals can be eaten at OHK’s multiple serving sites, or taken to go. OHK works in cooperation with the Alameda County Community Food Bank, more than a dozen local food pantries, and various Tri-Valley non-profits with missions to promote nutrition and hunger relief.