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Volunteers Serve Up Saturday Fundraiser
sandwich
Volunteer Jennifer Talbert, left, gets ready to add some tri tip to a sandwich while Glinda Garcia pulls another roll out of the bag to start building a sandwich during the Riverbank Christian Food Sharing Tri Tip To Go fundraiser on Saturday. - photo by Marg Jackson/The News

 

It was a busy Saturday outside the Riverbank Christian Food Sharing site in Riverbank, with a smooth-working crew serving up a ‘tri tip’ to go fundraiser at the Scout Hall on High Street.

Motorists pulled up curbside, turned in or purchased tickets, then had the meal delivered to their vehicle. A crew of volunteers manned each station, some taking the tickets, others serving up the beans or packing the coleslaw in the ‘to go’ containers, others wrapping up the fresh, hot tri tip sandwiches.

“Final totals, we served 225 tri tip meals,” said Lynda Silva, who served as one of the coordinators for the event. “We are very grateful for the community support.”

Cost was just $4 for a half order, $8 for a full order, including a tri tip sandwich, beans and coleslaw.

Among those working the food line, wrapping up sandwiches, was Jennifer Talbert, working on behalf of Kohl’s Cares.

“Kohl’s donates money for the cause (food sharing) for me being here,” Talbert explained.

Proceeds of the tri tip fundraiser will help pay for expenses such as insurance and supplies used by Riverbank Christian Food Sharing to provide food on Fridays to Riverbank families.

“It helps us pay the bills and busy food,” Silva said.

She added that the weekly food distribution continues to see high numbers of needy families coming in for the emergency aid, averaging around 150 families per week.

“I thought it would slow down but it hasn’t,” Silva said. “We’re getting people coming back that haven’t been here for a long time.”

The distribution provides just some basics, serving as a supplement for families.

“This is emergency food,” Silva explained. “It’s a three-day supply, not a trip to the store, but it helps them to stretch.”