Opportunity To Learn Through Helping: Countys Ctep Program Visits Second Harvest Food Bank
- Category: CTEP
Watsonville There is much to learn among the mammoth stacks of donated food, the gargantuan warehouses and the vast refrigerators at Second Harvest Food Bank.
There, hundreds of employees and volunteers every day perform countless tasks, from administrative duties to shipping and receiving to sorting food into the boxes and bags that go to hungry families.
Because the food banks activities are connected intimately to agriculturearguably the lifeblood of Santa Cruz Countyand to the simple but age-old act of feeding people, a trip there was perfect for the Santa Cruz County Office of Educations Career Technical Education Partnership .
More than 50 CTEP culinary and agriculture students from more than a dozen schools across the county spent two hours Friday morning sorting and packaging food.
CTEP coordinator Julie Edwards said the visit at once gave them a front-seat view of the food banks inner workings, and an idea of the jobs available to them there.
Leslie Pintor, 17, said she hopes to come back with her fellow students at least once a month.
It was pretty cool, she said. It was a new experience.
I like that we were doing something productive and giving back to the community, said Adrianna Vega, 17.
The work-based service learning experience came thanks to a donation from The Catholic Community of San Agustin in Scotts Valley.
Santa Cruz County Office of Education400 Encinal Street
Why We Support Second Harvest Food Bank:
- It’s as simply as this: Second Harvest Food Bank can help more people, using the same amount of money. They can provide 4 meals for every $1 donated, due to their extensive relationships with farmers, retailers, food bank networks, and dedicated volunteers.
- SHFB sources over 8 million pounds of food each year from farms, grocery stores, food manufacturers, distributors, and individuals. They distribute this food to 100 food pantries, schools, soup kitchens, group homes, youth centers, plus another 100 Second Harvest program sites.
- More than 60% of the food they distribute is fresh produce, making SHFB the Healthiest Food Bank in the nation.
- SHFB reaches over 100,000 people each month since COVID hit. Typically, these are children, seniors, veterans, homeless, working poor, and others who need some help from their neighbors to make it through a tough time.
Creating A Shared Vision Of Equitable Health & Well
CORE works with changemakers to create a shared vision of equitable health and well-being, then shares tools, resources, and inspiration to take collective action. COREs equity-centered approach creates a map that shows how different effortsincluding yours fit together to respond to our community’s needs. Our hope is that having access will save you time and resources so you can focus on what you do best.
Don’t Miss: Second Harvest Food Bank San Francisco
Second Harvest Food Bank
Founded in 1972, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County was the first food bank in California and is the second oldest in the nation. We began by distributing food from a parking lot in Santa Cruz to groups operating the Breakfast For Kids programs. Second Harvest works to end hunger and malnutrition by educating and involving the community. Through our network of 200 agencies and programs and their 3,000 volunteers, we distribute over 8.3 million pounds of food annually to working poor families, children, and seniors. Our mission is end hunger and malnutrition by educating and involving the community. Our vision is to use 95 cents of every dollar for program services while increasing the distribution of healthy foods and nutrition education.
Membership Level: Non Profit & Individual
Planned Giving Through Freewill
Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County offers a service to create or update your legal will. Its 100% free to you and your support ensures that no person in our community struggles to find where their next meal will come from. For more information, .
Fill out the Stock Donation Form or contact for more information.
Don’t Miss: Food Banks Kansas City Ks
Taking Collective Action For A More Equitable Santa Cruz County
CORE brings diverse voices in the community together to move from ideas to collective action. We do this by providing resources and creating a space through CORE Institute events to have deeper conversations and explore new ways of thinking about health and well-being through an antiracist equity lens. Together, we align resources, create shared goals, and take collective action to improve lives in Santa Cruz County.
Grow Your Knowledge & Your Network With Core
With CORE, you can:
-
Find a community of uplifting, passionate people committed to improving the place we live, work, and play
-
Find useful frameworks and tools to drive social change efforts
-
Have a brave, inclusive space for critical conversations about antiracism, racial equity, and intersecting inequities related to age, gender, income, sexual orientation, and other social identities
-
Learn new ways to develop equitable systems and practices
-
Align your work with community goals and long-term impacts
-
Gain new knowledge, confidence, and skills
Also Check: Food Delivery With Bank Account
The Big Idea 202: Got Food
Did you know that over 1/3 of our countys residents face hunger every month? That staggering statistic results from job loss, high rent and low wages. You can help us provide food for 85,000 people a month in Santa Cruz County who depend on Second Harvest and our network of nonprofit agencies and safety net services such as food pantries, shelters, and group homes to fill pantry shelves and provide hot meals.
Only with adequate nutrition can children learn, adults work, and the community thrive. Volunteers help power Second Harvest Food Bank, allowing us to distribute a staggering 10 million pounds of food each year.
We, the Early Start staff, a PVUSD special education program for families with infants/toddlers with special needs, give Second Harvest Food Bank a very warm thank you for providing our families with a little extra help feeding their families during this pandemic.
The Early Start staff, a PVUSD special education program
Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County
- EIN: 77-0326685
- Food Banks, Food Pantries
- Nonprofit Tax Code Designation: 501 Defined as: Organizations for any of the following purposes: religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, testing for public safety, fostering national or international amateur sports competition , or the prevention of cruelty to children or animals.
- Donations to this organization are tax deductible.
- More Resources:
- Get notifications:
Recommended Reading: Food Bank Free Tax Preparation 2021
At Second Harvest Food Bank Our Mission Is To Inspire And Support Santa Cruz County To Provide Nourishment For All Community Members
We strive to continually improve processes and protocols to support inclusive and equitable practices and decision making at all organization levels.
We share our wealth with our partners the stronger they are, the stronger we are.
We work towards talking less and listening more.
We believe in the inherent dignity of all people.
Only with adequate food and nutrition can children learn, adults work, and our community thrive.
Second Harvest Food Bank Of Santa Cruz County
Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County joined as a beneficiary in 2013. One in four children in Santa Cruz County suffers from malnutrition. Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz is working to ensure that every child has the healthy food they need to thrive.
Proceeds from the Silicon Valley Turkey Trot has provided 300,000 healthy meals to children, families, seniors, veterans and the disabled in Santa Cruz County. Suzanne Willis SHFB
Also Check: St Vincent De Paul Food Bank Phoenix
We Believe What You Do Matters And That You’re Not In This Work Alone
With CORE, you have access to a community of changemakers from across sectors working towards a common vision.
COREs shared framework and resources allow us to align our efforts better as we progress toward creating equitable health and well-being. The CORE Institute offers events and other opportunities to learn together, re-energize your work, and connect with passionate people committed to improving life for all in Santa Cruz County.
#membermonday: Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County
May 10, 2021
This weeks featured member food bank is Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County. Founded in 1972, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County was the first food bank in California and is the second oldest in the nation! They are also one of our 11 member food banks participating in our Food Access for Farmworkers Initiative.
The Food Access for Farmworkers Initiative has been an outstanding pilot program for the food bank, states Bryn Calderon, the food banks Marketing & Annual Fund Director. The initiative is working towards establishing a more inclusive food network that includes the food banks, who make it possible to distribute food to those in need, and the farmworkers, who source our food and are often in need of it themselves.
Upon receiving their box, one of the farmworker stopped to thank the food bank, sharing how hard he felt the work in the fields can be, and that it was nice to know they, the farmworkers, were not forgotten.
Farmworkers are in the fields, working daily to cultivate and harvest the food that the community gets to enjoy or the food bank provides for others in need. The food boxes, which are specifically customized for farmworkers, is a first step towards giving back to those who work so hard to provide Californians with fruits and vegetables.
Follow Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County on , , , , and .
Also Check: Food Bank Volunteer San Jose
Why We Do It:
As you can read in the UCSC Blum Center report, Santa Cruz County: “Experiences of food insecurity … have been found to negatively impact health and well-being, child development, and academic performance. … Second Harvest Food Bank and its network of nonprofit and community partners … play an invaluable role in alleviating food insecurity in Santa Cruz County and must be fully supported.“
Did You Know
Many of our nutrition distribution sites we would offer cooking demonstrations and nutrition classes? Those have been on hold since March when we really began understanding the full nature of this pandemic.
However, our Nutrition team has been working behind the scenes to reimagine what these cooking and nutrition classes can look like. Visit our Check out the video below to learn how to make a holiday-appropriate, healthy pumpkin pie in this month’s cooking demonstration.
Don’t Miss: St Mary Food Bank Surprise
What We Do:
We uplift and support the work of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz by:
- Each winter, we organize and run the UCSC contribution to SHFB’s Holiday Food & Fund Drive, raising tens of thousands of dollars.
- All year round, we have service volunteers who are willing to come into your department to:
- Educate about the food needs of the UCSC community
- Facilitate a hands-on experience for your team, where they will participate in food preparation or distribution.