Excerpt from Santa Cruz Sentinel | by Tara Fatemi Walker
To feed vulnerable members of our community, Second Harvest Food Bank recently launched its annual Holiday Food & Fund Drive. Co-chairs Faris Sabbah (Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools) and Chris Murphy (Santa Cruz Warriors president) kicked off the drive at a Nov. 7 rally at Cabrillo College and shared their goal for this year: raising funds for 4.75 million meals.
With Second Harvest’s network of partners that help subsidize food costs, $1 enables the Food Bank to purchase three meals. All of the funds raised during this drive will be used for food for Second Harvest’s 100-plus partner agency and program distribution locations. Last year’s drive set a new record with contributions equal to 4.5 million meals.
Food Bank CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez welcomed the rally’s attendees, which included many community members and volunteers who are helping raise money. “I love this event because it’s where we get to celebrate that we’re all here for one common cause: to ensure that every neighbor of ours is able to be nourished so that they can thrive, whether they are a college student, a young child, a senior, or another community member,” said Padilla-Chavez.
At the rally, guest speakers included Matt Wetstein, president of Cabrillo College. He announced that 44% of Cabrillo students are food insecure, and that he and Cabrillo are thrilled to partner with the Food Bank to raise funds for everyone in need.
The average meal costs 25% more in Santa Cruz County than California’s average, and the county is the country’s most expensive metropolitan county for renters. The Food Bank is witnessing an increase in need, resulting in longer lines at food distributions.
Adrianna Viscarra is a Food Bank client and volunteer. Thanks to Second Harvest, she still manages to feed her family — which includes her own three kids plus her nephew — healthy food. For about three years, she has volunteered once a week at a local distribution site and takes free groceries home. “Then I can spend less at the store,” says Viscarra. “It’s a big help.” In addition to positive economic effects, volunteering helps her mental health. “I started volunteering because I was depressed and wanted to feel useful. I like being in contact with people, too. Volunteering helps a lot; it’s like therapy.”
The Food Bank relies on the help of many volunteers. One role co-chairs Murphy and Sabbah fill is supporting local teams, which include ones from businesses, nonprofits, schools and churches. This includes helping them brainstorm fundraising ideas and giving them positive encouragement. “Faris and I get to be the head cheerleaders,” says Murphy, who adds he is very enthusiastic about volunteering. “When the Food Bank asked me to serve as co-chair, it was an easy yes,” he says. “Everything you see them do is always top-notch. I know the level of impact that they have and the amount of need in this community. I want to do my best to help continue the great work that the Food Bank is doing.”
The Warriors have been a Food Bank partner for more than a decade. “When we came to Santa Cruz, the community wrapped their arms around us from Day 1. We’ve tried to do that same thing every step in the way, doing everything we can to help this community grow and prosper,” says Murphy. The team does an annual volunteering day at Food Bank headquarters, packing groceries for distribution to clients in need. “I think anyone who supports Second Harvest should spend a day volunteering at the site,” says Murphy. “You see the amount of food that is needed in the community. It helps you be aware of the accurate situation; it really hits home to realize that almost 30% of our county needs help to not go hungry.”
It’s the fifth year for the Warriors’ “Swishes for Dishes” campaign, co-sponsored by Kaiser Permanente. For every point scored during the season, they donate 10 meals to Second Harvest. Over the past four years, this has totaled nearly 250,000 meals.
The Warriors created two new initiatives to raise money and awareness. Like Swishes, they will extend beyond the holiday drive, through the end of basketball season. First, a Ticketmaster partnership: every time someone buys tickets for a Warriors game, they have an option to donate 15-30 meals to Second Harvest.
Next, local business Whiting’s Foods runs concessions at Kaiser Permanente Arena and is co-sponsoring a program. When customers buy food or drinks during a game, they have opportunities to donate 15 Food Bank meals at checkout. “Over 60,000 fans will come to Warrior games this year, and many will go to concession stands,” says Murphy. “For them to become aware that our county needs help, our community needs help and then have the chance to contribute little chunks at a time, it works well.”
Sabbah, the drive’s co-chair for the second consecutive year, is equally passionate about alleviating food insecurity. “By serving as co-chair of the Holiday Food & Fund Drive, I know I can make an impact on hunger in our community,” says Sabbah. “Rising costs, employment instability, and the lingering pandemic contribute to rising levels of food insecurity. Children are especially vulnerable. The latest data shows an estimated 14% of children in Santa Cruz County — over 7,000 young minds — are facing food insecurity. Hunger hinders our children’s ability to learn, weakens their health and strains families.”
Sabbah emphasizes that Second Harvest Food Bank plays a crucial role in combating food insecurity, distributing about 8 million pounds of food annually. The nonprofit serves over 65,000 county residents monthly. “It’s an honor to be able to join leaders such as Second Harvest Food Bank CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez and fellow campaign co-chair Chris Murphy to address this systemic inequity and rally our community to make a meaningful difference.”
At the rally, Padilla-Chavez finished her remarks with this: “It is very rare for an entire county to come together for a common cause, to work together, to achieve something. We are all doing that through this campaign. So, let’s celebrate and kick off that we are working in community. We will take care of our neighbors and take care of each other.”
Learn more at thefoodbank.org/holiday-food-fund-drive.