Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley has been accepted as a recipient in the 2021 Monterey County Gives! campaign – a community-match fundraising program, which runs from November 11 to December 31, 2021. Our Big Idea - “SOCOS Socials” - is to raise funds for our newest outreach program - an updated form of senior congregate meals. So many seniors have been alone in their homes since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the spring of 2020. These socials provide an opportunity to get out of the house, enjoy a free, fresh meal; live music; and senior resources in one location with other seniors in the community. We currently have SOCOS Socials in Soledad on the second Tuesday of each month, held at the Soledad Community Center and in Gonzales on the third Thursday of each month, held at St. Theodore's Church Parish Hall. These events have been quite popular and we want to continue them in the new year. We look for community donations through MCGives! 

A collaboration between the Monterey County Weekly, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and the Community Foundation for Monterey County, MCGives! is a  campaign in which local businesses, foundations and individuals contribute to an overall match fund that spurs donations for participating organizations. At the end of the campaign, each nonprofit receives 100% of their donations, along with a prorata match on the first $75,000 raised. More than $27 million has been raised and granted since 2009.