Catholic Charities donated food for Santa Maria High School families.
SANTA MARIA — Catholic Charities served 55 Santa Maria High School families in a food drive Friday.
Students and their families picked up bags on campus from 11 a.m. to noon. The bags were loaded with rice, beans, cereal, pasta, vegetables, snacks and other necessities.
Saint School Community Liaison Patricia Lopez Barriga coordinated the drive when families reached out for help. She called local nonprofits to see if she could find enough food.
“No child or family should go hungry,’’ she said in a news release. “We are very thankful for Catholic Charities for donating the food to our families. This is such a blessing for our families. In addition, we are thankful for the Blessings in the Backpack program for providing weekend lunches.”
Catholic Charities has offices in Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria. It serves the entire county with housing and utility payment assistance and pantry programs.
“Catholic Charities works directly and through collaboration with other agencies to serve the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community,’’ said Yolanda Vasquez, program director of Catholic Charities, Santa Barbara region.
— Annelise Hanshaw
