It was late Friday morning, as Mario Gonzalez examined the contents of the grocery delivery he received at his San Jose apartment.
Making a decision based not only on the healthy assortment of ingredients, but also on the crispness of the air that autumn day, he said: “It will be a fish stew, with all the ingredients of a salad in a soup. »
He started chopping vegetables – carrots, corn, onions, celery – and simmered them in tomato broth with a little garlic until they were tender, then carefully added large chunks of tilapia. Later, he added shredded cabbage and wondered if the soup needed oregano.
There you have it, enough vitamin-rich, low-calorie soup for three or maybe four meals.
Gonzalez, 60, who suffers from Charcot foot, a complication of diabetes-related neuropathy, credits the Loaves & Fishes program and his medical team for the progress he has made.
“It’s a village effort that’s helping me get back on my feet,” he said. “Without medically appropriate meals, I would go shopping. And I would buy all the wrong things.
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Loaves & Fishes Family Kitchen, founded 44 years ago, has expanded its reach as community demand increases. The mission statement is simple: “We provide meals to anyone in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties who is unsure where their next meal will come from.” »
These days, that means free community meals at two service sites in San Jose and 40 partner sites across the two counties; preparation and delivery of program meals for Meals on Wheels, Medically Adapted Meals and Groceries and the Jerry Larson FoodBasket; as well as the collection of surplus food via the A La Carte Food Recovery project.
A $50,000 grant from Wish Book readers would fund more than 14,000 healthy meals in 2025 for hungry and food insecure people, from the homeless to the homebound.
On a fairly average afternoon at the North Seventh Street location, Loaves & Fishes serves a total of 157 meals to 59 people in just a few hours. Guests are invited to grab hot lunches and dinners, three in each grab-and-go bag, along with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches prepared by volunteers and fresh fruits and vegetables from the organic garden out back. As the weather is still warm in late October, the garden is producing beautiful tomatoes and plums – the equivalent of about 40 pounds has been distributed.
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Jonathan Vallejo, L&F operations manager, and Tim Chiavetta, lead volunteer, say the pace is demanding in terms of meal preparation, serving and cleanup, but it’s rewarding work.
“I spent most of my life pursuing hedonism and I thought it was time to give back,” said Chiavetta, who was washing dishes after handing out meals for the busy afternoon.
Most diners get their meals to go, but a few eat in the dining room. These are people who have gone through difficult times but who remain optimistic.
“I bounced back and now I’m trying to get better,” said Gabriel Fernandez, 46, who works part time and hopes to return to his construction specialties of rehabbing homes and installing floors. . “Everything is getting better.”
An acquaintance at the table, a divorced mother caring for an adult son with mental health issues, talks about the frustrating situation people like her and Fernandez find themselves in.
“We have part-time jobs” – she is an office worker – “and we still can’t make it,” she said. “I rent a car, so I have a roof over my head. And I was born in Santa Clara County! Isn’t that amazing? It’s breathtaking.
After finishing a meal of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, they both left with the same plan in mind. They would pay it forward, or rather feed it, by delivering meals to other homeless people in the area.
Loaves & Fishes “helps me survive,” Fernandez said, so he offers others his extra meals. She echoes his sentiment. “We are leaving to help.”
THE WISH BOOK SERIES
Wish Book is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operated by The Mercury News. Since 1983, Wish Book has produced series of stories during the holiday season that highlight the wishes of those in need and invite readers to help make them come true.
WISH
Donations will help Loaves & Fishes provide more than 14,000 healthy meals to hungry and homeless families, children, low-income seniors, veterans, students, people with disabilities and people living with chronic illnesses. Target $50,000
HOW TO DONATE
Donate at wishbook.mercurynews.com/donate or mail this form.
ONLINE SUPPLEMENT
Read more Wish Book stories, see photos and videos at wishbook.mercurynews.com.
