Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1339624
SantaCruzSentinel.Com February 12, 2021 | READERS CHOICE | 11 keep our community and our volun- teers and staff as safe as possible." People definitely appreciated Sec- ond Harvest's dedication. Individuals like Joe, who at one point (pre-pan- demic) was a donor to Second Har- vest. Now, he is a client. This snapshot clearly illustrates how deeply the pan- demic has affected our local commu- nity. "I have worked my entire life and never needed any social services...un- til now. I have a heart condition and I am unable to work. My doctor has asked me to stay at home and mini- mize my exposure to the public, es- pecially now during COVID-19," says Joe. "When I heard about Second Har- vest's program giving away food, I de- cided with great hesitancy to go. What a humbling experience. Everyone was thoughtful and understanding, and I received enough food to last at least two weeks." He says Second Harvest made him feel he wasn't alone during this pandemic. One Second Harvest staffer shares this story from a food distribution ses- sion at the Santa Cruz Beach Board- walk: "We were loading up a car for a mom and two young boys. We put two frozen chickens, a bag of dried staples, a produce bag, bread, and juice into the car. We also loaded up the car with bananas and berries. When I put the bananas in the car, one of the young boys turned around to see and said excitedly, 'Mommy look—we get to have fruit again!' I could see the mom tear up as the two young boys did little victory wiggles in their car seats." When staff members are asked why they work at Second Harvest, Suzanne says that in most cases people reply the main reason is "being able to di- rectly impact the health and wellbeing of our neighbors." She wants readers to know that Second Harvest is cur- rently hiring, if anyone's interested. "We have dedicated staff who drive our trucks around the county deliver- ing food to our nearly 100 nonprofit partners and 70 program sites. Folks in our warehouse receive and log the food we get as well as pulling orders for delivery. We have CalFresh com- munity outreach workers who sign people up daily to receive CalFresh benefits. Our nutrition education team ensures people know what to eat and how to prepare the healthy food they need to thrive. Each staff member is critical in our work to support our county, and you can be a part of this!" pajaro valley loaves & fishes "We are incredibly honored to receive this high praise from our community," says Kathryn O'Brien, Community Outreach Coordinator for Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes. "During this challenging year which saw multiple crises, we saw a criti- cal rise in basic human needs. We at Loaves and Fishes strove to deliver as much healthy food as we could." From the initial shutdown on March 17 to the end of 2020, they saw a 50 percent increase in the number of clients coming to their pantry. "When stay-at-home orders began, one of the first concerns which crossed every- one's minds was the need to stock up on food. Grocery providers were see- ing an immense surge in numbers; Loaves and Fishes was no exception. We were able to remain open as an essential service, and for a few very busy weeks, we had lines down the street. Our team hustled to meet this demand." They have continued seeing in- creased numbers in the pantry and lunch programs. "While we have piv- oted to make our operations meet the continues on 12... ...continued from 10 831.688.6913 | www.brentgarveypainting.com BRENT GARVEY PAINTING License #681095 Quality Isn't Expensive... It's Priceless • ALL WORK GUARANTEED • INTERIOR & EXTERIOR • RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL • WORKERS COMP & LIABILITY CELEBRATING 30 YEARS Thank you Santa Cruz for voting us your number one painter for two years in a row!