Silicon Valley leaders turn out to volunteer for the Thanksgiving holiday
SAN JOSE, CA - In the South Bay, local leaders are also stepping up this Thanksgiving holiday, volunteering and serving meals to those most in need.
With Thanksgiving just a couple of days away, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan were here in the community bringing more awareness to people’s needs this holiday.
"Well, what people don’t realize is that we’re serving a half-million people every single month, the same as at the peak of the pandemic because of inflation and reduced government benefits," said Tracy Weatherby, Vice President of Strategy and Advocacy at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.
At Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, feeding families is a year-round mission, but especially during the holiday season. This year, hundreds of volunteers are pitching in to prepare food boxes for families in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties this Thanksgiving.
"One of the reasons I came here to volunteer is to just highlight the importance of serving food to families here. In a place of huge affluence, there’s still a lot of people who have needs," said Rep. Ro Khanna, CA-Dist. 17 representing Silicon Valley.
PATH, a San Jose-based homeless services agency, also hosted a Thanksgiving dinner Tuesday night at PATH Villas. Patti Fradenburg says she’s lived at the permanent affordable housing site for seniors since it opened last year.
"When we bring everyone together for these sorts of events, whether it’s ice cream afternoon or a dinner, it makes us feel more connected and more of a community event, and we know we’re all here," said Patti Fradenburg, a PATH Villas Resident.
Mayor Mahan and his family also attended the dinner, serving meals and getting to know the people who benefit from the city’s partnerships with organizations like PATH.
"Who we’re serving here is an older population who has struggled with housing insecurity and health issues. So just to be able to connect with people directly, see the people who we’re serving, who we’re trying to help. To be able to share that with my kids means a lot to me," said Mahan.
Second Harvest says people can still volunteer and donate money to help feed families in need.