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READ THIS: FOOD BANKS SEE SURGE AS SNAP AID DRIES UP
Typically, I use this column to suggest a great dish to try this week in Santa Cruz County, but today the only thing on my mind is the 35,000 community members who might not know where their next meal will come from.
Last Saturday, federal food aid dried up for thousands of households in the county as a result of the government shutdown, and the effect was nearly immediate. The legal battle continues over the future of the Trump administration’s payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Meanwhile, over the past week, hundreds of people flooded to food banks, pantries and nonprofit organizations in search of food.
More than 300 people showed up on Second Harvest’s doorstep in Watsonville on Wednesday alone, the organization’s CEO, Erica Padilla-Chavez, told me yesterday. Although the food bank doesn’t typically hand out food directly at its warehouses – it acts as a delivery hub for more than 60 organizations – the team at Second Harvest quickly got bags of groceries together for hungry families and educational materials on how to reach out to other food delivery spots.
Other locations have also seen lines double in length on food distribution days, while others are prepared for surges by stocking up on food.
Padilla-Chavez told me that the community has risen to the challenge by volunteering and giving financial donations, but Second Harvest doesn’t expect the need to abate until SNAP benefits are reinstated.
Read the story here. Information about how to donate and volunteer and a map of distribution sites can be found at thefoodbank.org.
BEST OF THE WEEK AHEAD
Below, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
ICYMI – here are the food news stories from Lookout that you might have missed, plus important news from beyond our borders picked by yours truly.
- Trump administration moves to block court order to release SNAP funds (Civil Eats)
- Lily Belli on Food: Mane Kitchen & Cocktails opens downtown; Hanloh ending run at Bad Animal (Lookout)
- Santa Cruz County, other agencies approve $1 million in donations to Second Harvest Food Bank (Lookout)
- How much better could school lunch be? (Eater)
