Waste Connections Gives Donation to Los Osos Cares

Waste Connections Gives Donation to Los Osos Cares

By

Ruth Ann Angus

Waster Connections doesn’t just concern their business with collecting garbage, they take care of their community. On August 1, 2023, at the suggestion from District 3 County Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg they donated $2500 to Los Osos Cares, the humanitarian organization helping people in need in the Estero Bay area of Los Osos, Morro Bay, and Cayucos.

District Manager Jeffrey Clarin accompanied by Mitch Brewer, Operations Manager of Waste Connections along with Dawn Ortiz-Legg and County Supervisor, Bruce Gibson handed a large check to Linda Quesenberry, Executive Director of Los Osos Cares at County Board of Supervisors meeting room.

“This money is greatly appreciated,” commented Quesenberry, “and it will help us to continue to aid people who are struggling financially.”

It may be little known what Los Osos Cares does for the residents of this coastal region. Every Wednesday evening, they feed community members and homeless individuals with home cooked meals prepared by an array of volunteers at the South Bay Community Center. “Recently numbers of people attending the dinners has risen to over 100 people,” Quesenberry said. In 2022 over 4800 meals were served, giving nutritious meals to over 1300 families, 1600 seniors, and 180 youths.

This isn’t all Los Osos Cares does. After the disastrous floods of the rainy season, Los Osos Cares disseminated $23,000 of foundation funds and public donations to people affected with damage from the floods. “Money like that is no longer available,” Quesenberry explained, “and grants are hard to find.”

Some of the services other than the dinners and emergency help that Los Osos Cares offers are Senior Outreach that made over 80 trips delivering food to seniors in their homes, Estero Bay Womenade that helps by giving small funds in emergency situations to people, the development of the Estero Bay Youth Coalition that works with schools, youth organizations and community leaders bringing educational opportunities and support to area young people, and the Estero Bay Latino Outreach, a bilingual network of community leaders, service workers, and schools raising awareness of available services in health, education, and leadership.

Since 2016 Quesenberry and Los Osos Cares has worked through a Community Coalition of service organizations, faith-based groups, law enforcement, local government, Chamber of Commerce, and the SLO Coastal School District that meet bimonthly either in person at the South Bay Community Center or by Zoom to discuss and solve community needs such as poverty, health, homelessness, and resources for youth and seniors.

Los Osos Cares maintains a local presence at their Resource Center located at the old Sunnyside School, Room 18 in Los Osos. The Center offers confidential services, bilingual staff members, assistance for families and adults with a resource directory listing organizations and agencies that can help.

“All of this is in jeopardy of disappearing due to lack of donations,” Quesenberry said. Los Osos Cares is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and donations are tax deductible.

Waste Connections, that is the management company for local garbage and recycling companies San Luis Garbage, South County Sanitary, Mission County Disposal, Morro Bay Garbage, and Costal Rolloff, believes in supporting nonprofits that are doing work to aid the citizens of the Central Coast. “We do this through direct contributions, or fundraising support focused on organizations that aid women children, and seniors, who are at risk and address racial and other inequities” Jeffrey Clarin explained. “Our success is measured by the positive impacts we have in our communities. We are pleased to be able to help support Los Osos Cares.”

You can donate to Los Osos Cares at www.losososcares.com or mail a check to Los Osos Community Resource Center, P.O. Box 6602, Los Osos, CA 93412.