Working Together
...to end hunger and malnutrition
Survey Says...

April survey results: The majority of respondents guessed that Second Harvest distributes 800,000 lbs. of food a year—we actually distribute over 8 million lbs. each year! Of that, over 60% is fresh fruits and vegetables (which tied as the top answer to that question). So in an average year, we distribute nearly 5 million lbs. of fresh produce -- that weighs more than five fully-loaded 747s!

Besides distributing so much food in our county, Second Harvest also provides nutrition education programs at 100 different sites throughout the county, helps residents apply for CalFresh, and partners with nearly 100 other non-profits in the county, like the Salvation Army, Grey Bears, and Veterans Services. We provide them with all the fresh produce they need, as well as pantry items. The majority of respondents knew that Second Harvest does much more than distribute food.

And we also offer free tours! If you’d like to come and see our giant coolers, our busy warehouse, and our well-oiled operations in action, we’d love to sign you up. Please fill out the form and we’ll be in touch to set it up. Sign up here!

Second Harvest
In the News 
WATSONVILLE — Second Harvest Food Bank on Tuesday [4/26] held its annual Agriculture Appreciation Luncheon, an event created to thank the farming community for donating the food that helps keep its larders filled with produce.
 
Featured in the Register-Pajaronian 
  Recent Events 
Volunteer Appreciation Luau
Volunteer Appreciation Luau
Discretion Brewery Love Monday
    Love Monday at Discretion Brewing
Ag Appreciation Luncheon
  Policy Matters
capitol building
Two important bills are making their way through the California legislature:

AB 2054 (Thurmond) will help fight hunger by preparing California to implement federally funded Summer EBT for Children (SEBTC). It passed out of the Assembly Human Services Committee with bi-partisan, unanimous support and now heads to the Appropriations Committee. Read more and take action here...

AB 2099 (Stone) will leverage the State's Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system to deliver an interim, supplemental benefit to low-income California households without safe drinking water. On April 18 it was referred to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations.The bill passed its first two policy committee hearings with unanimous, bi-partisan support.  Read more and take 4 minutes to show your support...
Coming to Your Mailbox...
Stamp Out Hunger

The nation’s letter carriers–the men and women who deliver for the U.S. Postal Service–personally visit every address in the country, six days a week, making them “all too familiar with the staggering numbers of people in need,” according to Fredric Rolando, President of the National Association of Letter Carriers.

So each year, on the second Saturday in May, they do much more than pick up and deliver the mail–they pick up bags of non-perishable food, to be delivered to local food banks come rain or shine, snow or sleet.

It’s no accident that the letter carriers chose May for their big campaign–the stocks of many food banks are running low several months after our winter food drives, and many school years end soon after, along with the subsidized meals many students rely on. So May is a critical time for food banks to replenish our stocks so we can continue to be here for people in need throughout the summer.

      “Both Rebecca and Mark got back on their feet with the help of food from their local food bank, and this is what drives letter carriers to rally on the second Saturday in May–to help their neighbors and to help Stamp Out Hunger.”
Aptos Post Office
The letter carriers behind Stamp Out Hunger know many of the residents on their routes and the stories of many of them who are going through hard times–like Rebecca, a single mother who had to flee domestic violence with her son; she was laid off from the airline industry and receives no government assistance. And Mark, who was suffering from serious chronic illness and had been homeless for 14 months.

Both Rebecca and Mark got back on their feet with the help of food from their local food bank, and this is what drives letter carriers to rally on the second Saturday in May–to help their neighbors and to help Stamp Out Hunger.

To make sure Stamp Out Hunger is a success, the letter carriers are asking the residents on their routes to help out. You can do so by filling the paper bag you’ll receive the week of May 9th (or any bags or boxes) with non-perishable food items and placing it out by your mailbox well before your normal mail delivery time on Saturday, May 14. (Find answers to frequently asked questions here.)

If you’re not around on Saturday or would prefer to support the effort online, just visit our Stamp Out Hunger donation page, where you can make a contribution of any size which will go directly to helping Second Harvest provide healthy food and nutrition programs to people in need in Santa Cruz County. Monetary donations give us flexibility and help us fill the need for particular kinds of foods that may be running low, like proteins, for instance.

Whether you donate cash or cans, money or macaroni, you’ll be making a difference.

Thanks for helping our letter carriers make Stamp Out Hunger a big success, and for helping all our neighbors in need of a helping hand.

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   Upcoming Events  
May 14, Stamp Out Hunger
    Team up with the USPS to #StampOutHunger in Santa Cruz County  
  May 26, Red Nose Day
    Red noses, silliness, and celebrity comedy to feed children and support other kid causes
  June 18, Spin for Second Harvest
    Spin with Bryn at this win-win benefit for Second Harvest
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