After the first week, over 1,500 meals had been distributed.
Kids & Families Together (K&FT) is a nonprofit that serves foster/resource, adoptive, kinship, and birth families throughout Ventura County. K&FT works with children who have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, loss, and multiple placements. Caregivers are supported with specialized education, support, and strategies to help raise safe, healthy, nurtured children that thrive.
Having hosted and catered several events for K&FT, the owners at Rincon Brewery Ventura are well aware of the needs of the families served by K&FT. Many of these families were struggling prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, and with the growing economic impacts, needs for these families have escalated. When World Central Kitchen joined the team a fantastic community partnership was born.
Rincon Brewery reached out to WCK offering to re-open their Ventura restaurant to make a difference in the community.
Because K&FT serves families throughout Ventura County, the need became clear that some families, due to lack of transportation, could not get to Ventura to pick up meals. K&FT’s staff rallied again and established a delivery network to get meals to families that had no means to get there. These families, particularly Foster/Resource and Kinship Families, have opened their homes and hearts to Ventura County children and K&FT wants to be there to support them.
Meal distribution takes place six days a week (Monday – Saturday). Families receiving services from K&FT can receive meals each day for all members of the household. Meals are prepared on site at Rincon Brewery the day before and refrigerated overnight for the next day. Rincon Brewery’s Chef, Steven Stroh provides a daily message called the “love note” explaining what each dish means to him.
After the first week, over 1,500 healthy, chef-prepared meals have been distributed/delivered to families across the county. Response from families has been extremely positive!
To volunteer at the distribution site or make deliveries please sign up via this link, created with the help of Ventura County Fire Department. https://vcfd.galaxydigital.com/need/?agency_id=112680
Financial donations to support this effort can be made via this link. https://mailchi.mp/kidsandfamilies.org/mealdistribution
