By Jon Chown
The shutdown may be over, but non-profit agencies, as well as local governments, are scrambling to fill the hole it left by the suspension and reduction of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the shutdown.
SNAP is a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but states and local agencies handle eligibility and distribution. In California, the program is called CalFresh. Monthly benefits are provided through EBT cards to low-income households.
Community Bridges serves meals to Santa Cruz County’s seniors in Watsonville, Live Oak, Santa Cruz and Ben Lomond.
On Nov. 1, CalFresh benefits were delayed for many recipients due to the federal shutdown. That left about 33,000 Santa Cruz County residents who rely on the program facing hunger.
Three days later, the county Board of Supervisors voted to declare a local emergency, and the county announced it was donating $500,000 to support Second Harvest Food Bank’s emergency food distribution efforts.
In addition, the Santa Cruz County Office of Education pledged an additional $250,000; the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville each pledged $100,000; and the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County put another $100,000 in the pot.
“The collective response by our local governments and philanthropic partners is a demonstration of our local commitment to ensuring no one in our county goes hungry,” Second Harvest CEO Erica Padilla-Chavez said in response to the donation. “Only by working together can we weather this challenging time. We should all feel proud of our county’s response to this unprecedented situation.”
The worst hunger is generally found where the highest rates of poverty are. In Santa Cruz County, that’s Watsonville, where nearly 13% of families live below the poverty line, as opposed to the county’s overall 5.8%.
“In Watsonville, we’ve seen firsthand how families are struggling to stretch their budgets,” Watsonville Mayor Maria Orozco said in a press release about the city’s $100,000 donation to Second Harvest.
One of the non-profits addressing the needs there is Community Bridges. Established in 1977, it runs nutritional assistance programs for children and adults.
One of its biggest operations is Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to the homes of elderly people. It serves a free lunch to seniors at sites in Watsonville, Live Oak, Santa Cruz, and Ben Lomond. It also distributes food in Santa Cruz and Felton twice a month.
Tony Nunez, communications director for Community Bridges, said the problems really began in January. DOGE caused some disruptions, then immigration-related actions and fears caused some problems for food deliveries. Things got worse, he said, when Congress passed the Big Beautiful Bill in early summer. The shutdown, he said, exacerbated everything.
“All of these things were kind of what we imagined would be a challenging time for people in the community who were supported by the government safety net,” he said. “We knew we had to be resilient.”
Nunez said he expects 2026 to be even more challenging. “So we’re trying to prepare. We will continue our baseline services that will be more essential heading into next year.”
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Available Nutritional Resources
A list of resources for food in Santa Cruz County. This is not an exhaustive list. Additional resources can be found at www.thefoodbank.org.
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Aptos
Resurrection Church Pantry – Food Distribution
7600 Soquel Dr.
Monday & Friday, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. (excluding holidays)
New Hope Church Aptos – Food Distribution
7200 Freedom Blvd.
2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month | Upcoming: Nov. 25, Dec. 9
Twin Lakes Church People’s Pantry – Food Distribution
2701 Cabrillo College Drive
Wednesdays, 3:45–5:15 p.m. (drive-thru)
Capitola
Bay Avenue Senior Apartments – Food Pantry
750 Bay Avenue, Building 4
2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month, 10–11 a.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 25, Dec. 9
Open while supplies last
Felton
Mountain Community Resources – Food Distribution
6134 Highway 9
Thursdays, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Santa Cruz
Grey Bears – Food Distribution
2710 Chanticleer Ave.
Saturday, 10–11 a.m.
Open only to older adults/seniors (55+). Program features: grocery/client choice, home delivery service, pre-packed boxes/bags. Items offered: fruits & vegetables, shelf-stable/non-perishable goods.
Nueva Vista Community Resources (Community Bridges) – Food Distribution
711 E. Cliff Dr.
1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month, 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 19, Dec. 3, Dec. 17
Soquel
Tradewinds Church – Food Distribution
4525 Soquel Dr.
2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 12, Nov. 26, Dec. 10
Watsonville
Second Harvest Emergency Response Community – Food Distributions
- EA Hall Middle School, 201 Brewington Ave. – Saturday, Nov. 15: 9–11 a.m.
- Santa Cruz County Beach Boardwalk – Monday, Nov. 17: 4–7 p.m.
- 2601 E. Lake Ave. – Thursday, Nov. 20: 4–8 p.m.
Pajaro Valley Loaves & Fishes – Food Distribution
150 Second St.
Monday–Friday, 9–11:30 a.m., 1–3 p.m.
Salvation Army Watsonville Corps – Food Distribution / Soup Kitchen
214 Union St., Watsonville
Food Distribution: Tuesday & Thursday, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Hot/Cold Meal Program: Sunday–Saturday, 5–6 p.m.
Open while supplies last
Radcliff Elementary School – Food Distribution
550 Rodriguez St.
4th Friday of the month, 2:30–3:30 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 28, Dec. 26, Jan. 23
Open while supplies last
Watsonville Senior Center – Food Distribution
114 E. Fifth St.
3rd Thursday of the month, 10–11 a.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 20, Dec. 18, Jan. 15
Open while supplies last
Casa del Alfarero – Food Distribution
113 E. Front St.
1st & 3rd Wednesday of the month, 3–4 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 19, Dec. 3, Dec. 17
Open while supplies last
All Saints Cristo Rey Episcopal Church – Food Pantry
437 Roger Ave.
4th Thursday of the month, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 27, Dec. 25, Jan. 22
Freedom Elementary School – Food Distribution / Food Pantry
25 Holly Dr.
2nd Tuesday of the month, 1:30–2:30 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13
2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month, 5–6 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 12, Nov. 26, Dec. 10
Friday, 1–3:30 p.m.
Open while supplies last
Salud Para La Gente – Food Distribution
45 Nielson St.
1st & 3rd Thursday of the month, 5:30–6:30 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 20, Dec. 4, Dec. 18
Open while supplies last
Holy Eucharist Church – Food Distribution
527 Corralitos Rd.
2nd & 4th Thursday of the month, 4–5 p.m. | Upcoming: Nov. 13, Nov. 27, Dec. 11
Open while supplies last
TOP PHOTO: Watsonville’s food pantries were being stretched during the shutdown.