Meals That Connect hosted their 11th annual “Night of a Million Meals” event recently to raise money to feed San Luis Obispo County seniors. Thanks to a $100,000 matching funds offer from CenCal Health, the event raised close to $250,000.

Meals That Connect is a nonprofit organization that provides seniors 60 years of age and older with free hot meals throughout SLO County. Daily noontime meals are served to 1,650 seniors at ten locations in the county, and delivered to seniors who are homebound.

The sold out “Night of a Million Meals” event was held at the Cliff’s Resort and featured champagne, valet parking and casino hour, as well as silent and live auctions. Prizes featured at this year’s event included ground floor tickets to Elton John’s final tour, a one-week stay in a Tuscan villa, tropical vacations and more.

Each year MTC must raise 50% of their funding annually, and this gala is an important part of the full budget for the program.

The nonprofit meals don’t just provide necessary nutrition to the seniors in the county, they also provide a community. Every weekday, seniors gather together at dining rooms throughout the county to eat together, share stories and build friendships. For homebound seniors, volunteers personally deliver meals, using those visits as opportunities to check in on them.

For more information, or to donate, visit mealsthatconnect.org or call 805-541-3312.