Goleta Magazine 2017 - 26

non-profit to note

Food from the Heart
For Kelly Onnen, giving back to local
non-proﬁts is a family tradition
V O L U N T E E R I N G H A S B E E N A P A R T of Kelly
Onnen's life since she came to Goleta in the early 80's. She
recalls setting up the Rotary booth at the Goleta Lemon
Festival while her two daughters were toddlers strapped to
her and her husband, Eric's, back.
Her love for cooking and entertaining brought her to Food
from the Heart, an organization dedicated to preparing and
delivering healthy and nutritious meals to those in our community dealing with major illnesses or failing health and
cannot take care of themselves.
Onnen has been involved with the organization for 15 years.
She has been Chair of the Board for eight years, and stepped
in as the Executive Director pro bono for the last two years.
The almost entirely volunteer team meets Monday through
Wednesday mornings in the kitchen of Trinity Lutheran
Church to plan, cook and assemble over 150 bags of delicious prepackaged meals that are ready to eat. One bag will
typically feed one person for four to five days and help in
their healing.

"The camaraderie and sense of family within this group of
volunteers is truly amazing," Onnen said. "Everyone loves
each other!"
The organization has become a part of the Onnen family as
well. Kelly has been bringing her daughters to help during
school breaks since they were in elementary school.
"Food from the Heart was a great fit because I could bring
the kids," she said. "We need all the hands we can get, and
they encourage the youth to get involved."
A major highlight for her is the collaboration with other
local non-profits. If they have extra produce, Food from
the Heart brings it right over to the Santa Barbara County
Foodbank, local churches or the Boys and Girls Club.
Likewise, they receive many contributions from these nonprofits and local farms.
"There is definitely a sense of fulfillment," she said. "We're
helping people who don't have anyone else, many times I am
the only visitor they have every week."

Food from the Heart recently hired a new Executive Director, Sharon Byrne. Onnen is excited to transition
back to a board member and volunteer while Sharon helps take Food from the Heart to the next level.
Kelly Onnen pictured in the room where volunteers assemble and package meals.
Volunteers work together to assemble salads for the week.

GOLETA MAGAZINE

GoletaChamber.com

http://sbfoodfromtheheart.com/ http://www.GoletaChamber.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Goleta Magazine 2017