Fresno Rescue Mission preparing for Christmas meals

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Volunteers and workers at the Fresno Rescue Mission prepared for one of the most important meals of the year on Monday morning. They chopped potatoes and sliced bread and ham for their Christmas Day meals.

"We like to say a meal is more than just a meal here," said Matthew Dildine, Rescue Mission CEO.

They will be serving breakfast and dinner. The shelter is open 24 hours a day and they feed those in need year-round, but on Christmas they will be feeding even more people.

Dildine said every holiday they see an increase in the number of people.

"When you come to our dinner service tomorrow night you will see more families than you will typically see because it is Christmas and families when they are hungry or need food they want to take their families somewhere to get that," he said.

According to Dildine they regularly serve about 500 plates of food a day. On Christmas, they are expecting more than a thousand. They also see more children.

"It is very difficult," he said. "We had a Christmas meal on Friday and seeing 20% of the room be kids."

The food they serve not only fills bellies, but can also help change lives, Dildine said. They use their meals as a point of contact to inform people about services.

"We want to provide a place where you can come to receive relief, but then also develop you as a person."

If anyone would like to help the Rescue Mission, they can do so by volunteering. Breakfast will be served on Tuesday starting at 6 in the morning.