Keith McHenry, founder of Food Not Bombs, said he was overwhelmed by community support as he prepared to distribute free meals to the unhoused population this holiday season. The group will be providing meals on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, starting at noon.
Haneen Zain
Follow Haneen Zain on: Twitter. Haneen moved to Santa Cruz from Orange County in 2017 to begin her undergraduate education at UC Santa Cruz. After graduating in 2021 with a B.A. in politics, she decided to stay in Santa Cruz to intern with Lookout as she prepares to pursue a masters in Journalism.Deadset on pursuing journalism in a school that didn’t offer it as an option, Haneen joined the UCSC student-run newspaper in 2018 as a fact-checker. She quickly became the city news editor in 2019 and became co-editor in chief in 2020. She’s excited to further her journalism experience with Lookout Local.
Posted inCOVID Today
Omicron, boosters and the local response during the holidays
While healthcare providers say they’re prepared for a potential surge of cases due to Omicron, they say the data thus far may suggest fewer severe cases and hospitalizations. They continue to urge the public to get vaccinated and boosted, even with prolonged wait times.
Posted inCOVID 2022
Time costs money: The price for same-day COVID-19 tests can be high
Under state and federal law, COVID-19 tests must be covered by insurance, and any provider that accepts coverage must also provide it for free to the uninsured. Results often take between three and five days. For Santa Cruzans who need it faster, there are local options, but the most convenient can cost up to $225.
Posted inCoast Life
Unsung Santa Cruz: ‘They needed a community,’ and she was the one to keep them together
Through the pandemic and the CZU fire, yoga studio owner Juko Holiday prioritized her clients through the community and safe space she cultivated at Ease Mountain Yoga in Ben Lomond. Holiday lost her two tiny homes in the blaze but continued to offer free meditation classes over Zoom from a hotel lobby to help heal her community.
Posted inEducation
Grading UCSC’s fall quarter: ‘Successful’ hybridized system sets table for a full in-person winter
UC Santa Cruz officials are preparing to offer 100% of courses in person next quarter after what they say was a successful fall quarter, with positive feedback from students and zero community transmission of COVID-19 on campus. But some students are not optimistic about finding housing in Santa Cruz.
Posted inCOVID 2022
Health officials bracing for impact of Thanksgiving travel, gatherings on local COVID-19 cases
The latest data from the Santa Cruz County health department shows a 17% increase in COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks. Though a smaller increase than in recent periods, health officials say the impact of travel and gatherings around Thanksgiving is not yet known, but things are likely to get worse.
Posted inK-12 Education
‘So much hope, so much participation’: County parents lining up young ones for COVID-19 shots
Since the launch of COVID-19 vaccination clinics in schools across the county last week through the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, 2,858 students ages 5 to 11 have been vaccinated and more than 1,000 are scheduled to receive vaccines in the next few weeks.
Posted inCOVID 2022
Get your guard back up, health officials warn: As holidays approach, gatherings could trigger COVID spread
Lookout spoke with Santa Cruz’s David Ghilarducci on rising COVID-19 cases, booster doses and what he recommends as Thanksgiving and other holidays approach.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
March at Lighthouse Point on Saturday hopes to raise awareness of missing women of color
UC Santa Cruz student Faith Brown is looking to combat “missing white woman syndrome” with a march Saturday at Lighthouse Point. The event starts at 2 p.m.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘It’s our future’: UCSC student Anthony Rocha spilts time between school and Salinas City Council
Anthony Rocha is not only the youngest person on the Salinas City Council, but is also a fourth-year student at UC Santa Cruz. Rocha began his political journey at 19 years old as a member on the Salinas High School District board; in the time since, he’s worked to elevate young voices in his community.