by Christine West . Photos by gmhTODAY

volunteer is a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task . On the surface that describes Gilroyan Vince Saso , but he ’ s more than that .

Being a volunteer today , however , has almost become commonplace , ordinary and even expected . But Saso is also no ordinary volunteer . He has the ability to assess and fearlessly initiate things independently to the benefit of those in need .

He developed these skills while working for the Employment Development Department ( EDD ) for 35 years helping farm workers , cannery workers and day laborers find employment . After he retired as a manager from the EDD Campbell office in 2006 he began volunteering at the Gilroy Senior Center serving lunches . He immediately noticed many seniors struggling .

“ Some only ate half their lunch , then saved the rest for dinner because that ’ s all they would have to eat for the day ,” he recalled . “ I remember thinking there has to be a better life than this for them . They don ’ t ask for anything and they are barely surviving .”

When he heard Panera Bread threw out a lot of edible food every night , he talked to the manager . “ They were really generous . They gave me everything they couldn ’ t use but was still good to eat ,” said Saso , who picked up food nearly every day for the next 12 years and delivered the goodies to the Senior Center . “ It ’ s better to feed families at the table than feed the landfills .”

U . S . food waste is estimated to be 30 to 40 percent of the food supply , and Californians throw away approximately 5 to 6 million tons of food waste annually , according to CalRecycle , the state agency overseeing the new recycling regulations .

The Bread Man , as he was soon nicknamed , started working with Costco , Nob Hill and Sumano ’ s Bakery to collect edible food that would otherwise go into the landfill . Eventually he had more than the Senior Center clients could eat , so he started delivering to the Salvation Army Community Center , Wheeler Manor , Live Oak Adult Daycare , and the Gilroy Veterans Hall , which also have clients with food insecurities .

“ Our veterans really appreciate being able to get food from our Vets ’ Pantry to help supplement their weekly groceries ,“ said Gabe Perez , president of the South Santa Clara Valley Memorial District , which owns and operates the Gilroy Veterans Hall . “ Some are on fixed incomes and taking care of grandchildren . Even a box of muffins , a bag of rice and some apples can make a difference . We ’ re grateful for Vince ’ s dedication to those in need .”

The high cost of living , inflation and the continued impacts of the pandemic are all factors that lead to food insecurity . More than half the people who go hungry are children and seniors .

In addition to making almost daily rounds to collect and distribute food , he finds time to also volunteer for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley , one of the largest food banks in the nation serving about 460,000 people in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties every month , including nearly 27,000 monthly in South County .

44 SPRING 2023 gmhTODAY Magazine gmhtoday . com