Coast Life
Unsung Santa Cruz: Love, loss & grieving … the story of a beloved bus driver who ‘vanished’ as COVID emerged
Domingo Tovar was the second person in Santa Cruz County to die of COVID-19. As the two-year mark nears of his unexpected passing in April 2020, his family and friends still grapple with how loss unfolded at the beginning of a little-understood pandemic.
Unsung Santa Cruz: How helping people in the San Lorenzo Valley has also brought her ‘home’
Linda Meyer could’ve easily looked elsewhere after her marriage broke up or after her 19-year-old son was tragically killed. But the Valley Churches United leader has discovered the support she has given the valley has been returned in kind.
Unsung Santa Cruz: She helps take care of the farmworkers who help put food on our tables
Jackie Vasquez has become an active advocate for taking care of farmworkers. Her work at GoodFarms involved everything from providing food and school supplies to families in need to bringing health services and vaccination clinics right to the fields.
Unsung Santa Cruz: When his next emergency disaster became COVID, he immediately thought vaccine
Dominican Hospital’s Paul Angelo was instrumental in making vaccine care and outreach a top priority in Santa Cruz County. He helped organize the distribution of vaccines in South County first and has continued on from there.
Unsung Santa Cruz: An advocate and listener for young adults in the foster youth system
As a program manager for a residential treatment program, April Pao provides support to case managers and the young adults they serve. The young adults have aged out of the foster care system but still seek guidance on how to live independently.
Unsung Santa Cruz: Lifelong Watsonville resident — ‘Mr. Volunteer’ — won’t let retirement get in the way
Born and raised in South County, Matt Ryan spent more than 30 years as a firefighter and picked up other roles along the way, from helping power the local Toys for Tots program to community barbecues and giving fellow first responders a willing ear.
Unsung Santa Cruz: Her call to duty is stronger than most, but she is also only human
No one could prepare volunteer fire captain Renee Fenker for what it would be like defending the San Lorenzo Valley area she grew up in — or being unable to defend her family’s longtime house from the CZU fire flames: “We need to remember that a lot of our community is still healing.”