HI @caracheryl
A big welcome to the forum.
There is an existing thread on the forum that does discuss local sitters, whereby you may find the answer to your questions.
There are various scenarios to consider:
If a sitter is local, I am sure they would be more than happy to meet in person.
Alternately, if you do have a good connection with sitters via Video call, they can often come a day before to really get to know your pets and the routine.
There may also be sitters close by on another sit who are happy to pop through to see you.
You can certainly approach local sitters, and I would also like to suggest that you put up your listing with your desired dates and see who is available and applies.