State and local leaders, advocates, and policy makers came together on Friday, May 18, for the 7th Annual CalFresh Forum, which is held in Watsonville each May and is hosted by Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz County Human Services Department. California has the…
Last fall, Sarah Underwood, Second Harvest Food Bank’s Senior Director of Nutrition and Health, paid a visit to a local school, Live Oak Elementary in Santa Cruz, which is part of the Cradle to Career (C2C) initiative. C2C, which is a collaborative effort by parents and local education,…
Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz stands with the California Association of Food Banks and other state and regional organizations in opposition of proposed cuts to the 2018 Farm Bill. These cuts would hurt our clients, local farmers, and our economy, and put poverty-stricken families who depend on…
This year’s recipients share a dedication to community service that began in early childhood. Read on to find out how these Hunger Fighters have taken their commitment to feeding the hungry to...
The Passion for Produce program continues to grow thanks to the tireless efforts of Second Harvest’s nutrition team and its many volunteer Nutrition Ambassadors. The program offers over 300 peer-led classes per year on nutrition, meal preparation, menu planning, physical activity and social support to low-income individuals and families. The…
Although the Central Coast grows a large portion of our nation’s produce, food can be scarce for the people who work the fields and live in the migrant labor camps,...
After fires ravaged wine country earlier this fall, thousands of residents were left homeless and destitute. Though Second Harvest is 130 miles away, we found a way to help by...
The Holiday Food & Fund Drive is off to a flying start thanks to everyone who attended the Annual Kickoff Luncheon on November 2nd at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos. The drive is Second Harvest’s biggest campaign of the year, and 100% of the food and funds it…
People often ask how we get so much healthy produce, and how we manage to turn every dollar into four healthy meals. One of the answers to both questions is Farm to Family. In the old days (before the program started in the late 1990s), farmers’ surplus product…
One of the first things visitors to southern Santa Cruz County notice are the acres upon acres of farmland blanketing the Pajaro Valley. Drop in during the summer and you’ll see farmworkers harvesting and packing little red, pink, and blue gems—strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries—for distribution throughout the…
What is the best way for a hungry student to focus on studying and class activities? It’s a trick question. Studying, learning, and even paying attention are all next to impossible when you’re hungry or lacking in nutrients. That’s why Youth N.O.W., one of Second Harvest’s hundred partner…
Sometimes people aren’t aware of something until they need it. For many victims of disaster, like those of Hurricane Harvey, the aftermath revealed the existence—and critical importance—of community food banks. Ever since Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast late last month, the Houston Food Bank has taken…
When you volunteer in Second Harvest’s nutrition programs, you not only help the community, you become part of a community. The Nutrition Ambassadors who distribute food and produce throughout Santa Cruz County become a team of friends, and this month we’re spotlighting one of the volunteers who brings…
Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. –Hippocrates This quote centers on the belief that eating wholesome food is the basis for good health. This is also what encouraged the staff at East Cliff Family Health Center to begin their own pantry distribution at their…
At the federal, state, and local level, Second Harvest stays on top of the policies that affect our clients. This year, the programs designed to help them—effective and desperately needed food safety net programs—are under particularly heavy threat, especially at the federal level. But those threats are drawing…
