Volume #6
October - November 2026
Happy Fall! People's Kitchen remains grateful for all our serving groups and the amazing effort that helped our neighbors in need over the summer months. We served 3,874 first time meals in July and 3,547 in August.
As you may have noticed, our numbers continue to increase, especially toward the end of each month and during intense weather events (rain, excessive heat, freezing temperatures). There are also federal cuts to food assistance affecting SLO County. We are seeing more sustained demand for meals compared to last year at this point. Thank you to each of our 40+ serving groups for stepping up to support the hungry in our community.
A few reminders regarding health and food safety. Please review the safe food handling policy on the People's Kitchen website. We are in the process of updating them. In the meantime there is a very helpful web site:. Official California Food Handler Certificate. This offers a 2 hour on line course for $10. Many helpful food handling tips.
On that same subject of food safety and cleanliness, please remember that volunteers are not permitted to eat in the serving area (the kitchen). You are welcome to eat in the break room or in the dining area.
As always, please reach out to the People's Kitchen board if you're struggling to afford supplies for your meal or you need more servers to help dish it out. There are resources, like the SLO County Food Bank, that can help bridge the gap. We are beyond grateful for your continued partnership.
As always, if you need assistance with meal supplies or servers, please reach out to our board members.
People’s Kitchen Board
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.
https://www.facebook.com/peopleskitchenslo/
If you 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.
