Dozens spend Martin Luther King Day serving homeless at Poverello House

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- About 80 employees from Kaiser Permanente in Fresno joined Hands on Central California volunteering, in honor of the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

"This is a day of service throughout the country and Kaiser every year provides some sort of service to the community. We've really enjoyed our time here at the Poverello House and provide a great deal of service to the residents here," said volunteer Susan Seruby.

This is the thirteenth consecutive year Kaiser employees have volunteered at the Poverello House, striving to improve the health of our community.

"It's something to really show how much we as an organization, all of us as individuals, really take to heart the concept of service to the community. So it means a great deal to be able to be a part of this," said Seruby.

The volunteers did everything from cutting potatoes and seasoning meat to yard maintenance and painting.

"It goes such a long way to be able to see those clients with the smiles on their faces and just very grateful and thankful for the meals we are providing," said Poverello House CEO Cruz Avila.

While many Kaiser employees have volunteered at the Poverello House over the years, for the first time this year they assembled these hygiene bags and delivered them to those in need.

"The Kaiser folks are going out doing outreach without the homeless population to go out and hand those hygiene kits out personally. Get to know the clients so they see what it is we do on a day to day basis here," said Avila.

It was a humbling experience for the volunteers and one that will always stay with them.