People seeking shelter from 5Cities Homeless Coalition (5CHC) every night recently started enjoying the food from the nonprofit’s first consistent cost-effective meal preparation program.
A partnership between the nonprofit and the Lucia Mar Unified School District allowed 5CHC to access the Oceano Community Center‘s kitchen. The kitchen made its 5CHC debut on March 31 when volunteers and staff cooked and served baked spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad for 50 homeless people.
“We’ve just been working with local restaurants—Old Juan’s Cantina, Rock & Roll Diner, and Fin’s have kind of had a rotation,” 5CHC Associate Director Devon McQuade said. “Some volunteers have been able to prepare meals on their own and deliver them to the sites, but it’s definitely been a barrier trying to find a kitchen large enough to feed 50 people.”
McQuade added that 5CHC had been working for a while to secure a kitchen that could serve people sheltering in its two locations at Cabins for Change and Balay Ko on Barca. The nonprofit connected with Lucia Mar, which owns the Oceano commercial kitchen, through 5CHC board member and former school district superintendent Andy Stenson.
“They essentially said, ‘We have a commercial kitchen that is, you know, right now, pretty underutilized,'” McQuade said. “We had a need, so we were able to make that happen.”
5CHC plans to either prepare food at the kitchen every Monday or do a couple of meal preparations throughout the week. While two staff members help run the new program, 5CHC is on the lookout for more volunteers to steer the kitchen. While other community groups were interested in helping with meal services in the past, the lack of space prevented 5CHC from accepting their offers. But that’s set to change.
Volunteers from the Vitality Advisory Council of Oceano stepped in to assist in the new kitchen. Pismo Beach’s Burgers & More owner and chef April Paz helped the group with mass meal preparation.
In addition to several individuals who reached out wanting to volunteer, 5CHC also saw interest from the Pismo Beach Rotary Club, which will be lending a hand later in April.
The kitchen’s refrigeration and heating options allow 5CHC volunteers to prepare meals when it’s convenient for them and not just during the dinner hour. Community members can participate as individuals or as part of a team. Those interested can sign up by emailing 5CHC at volunteer@5chc.org or by calling (805) 574-1638.
There’s also room for former clients of 5CHC. The vision for the program, according to McQuade, is to have clients eventually help manage it.
“One of the plans that we actually have for this program is to make it kind of an enterprise project where we actually have participants that are in our program coming in and … getting experience working in the kitchen,” she said, “and then, hopefully moving on and getting a job in the food service or cooking industry.”
Fast facts
• Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting climate change through regenerative agriculture, launched the Unfork the Planet campaign in San Luis Obispo. The organization called on local restaurants and food businesses to join the initiative and create dishes that highlight sustainable ingredients. Participating restaurants will contribute a portion of their sales from climate-smart dishes to support grants for farmers transitioning to regenerative practices. Visit zerofoodprint.org to sign up.
• Central Coast Community Energy (3CE) is hosting a home electrification workshop on April 17. The event gives homeowners, renters, contractors, builders, affordable housing developers and advocates, senior advocates, and low-income advocates the chance to share their experiences, challenges, and questions about upgrading household appliances to all-electric. It’ll take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center on 5679 Hollister Ave. Sign up for the free event at eventbrite.com/e/3ces-community-workshop-electrify-your-home-20-tickets-1286956484489?aff=oddtdtcreator. Δ
Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Apr 10-20, 2025.