Quick Take
The Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building received $1.2 million in federal funding to support improvements to increase accessibility for veterans and community members with mobility issues.
Watsonville’s veterans community will soon get upgrades to the Veterans Memorial Building after Santa Cruz County received nearly $1.2 million in federal funding.
The Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Watsonville has served as a community hub for decades, from hosting school dances to being a temporary shelter for unhoused residents during the winter season. However, maintenance of the building became an afterthought.
U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren told about 20 members of the veterans community Thursday that improvements to the building have been “overlooked.” She added that the facility is important because it offers crucial services to the veterans, such as its food pantry and its monthly medical services from doctors from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We owe veterans everything,” Lofgren said. “Anything that we can do to make the lives of veterans and their families easier, that’s an honor for us.”
The money will allow the county to upgrade the building so it complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including fixing the elevator to accommodate people using wheelchairs or canes for mobility, said Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez. He said the improvements will make the second story of the building accessible to all veterans. Additional upgrades are planned for plumbing, heating and air conditioning, plus a fresh coat of paint.
Hernandez, who served in the U.S. Army, told Lookout that it’s too early to provide a timeline for when the improvements will happen, as the county needs to solicit contractor proposals.
“This building here is very crucial and instrumental for veterans here,” he said. “This building belongs to veterans, this is here for them.”
Food pantry manager and military veteran Ronald “Doc” Garza said the improvements will allow the food pantry to continue offering groceries and accompanying services, such as monthly doctor visits and help finding housing for around 100 people weekly.
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