Charles Bogray, co-owner of Tree House Cafe serves a customer in Boulder Creek on Nov. 21. The cafe offered free bagels for families affected by SNAP delays during the federal shutdown. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY >> Santa Cruz County residents who volunteered at food banks or donated money, business owners who gave away free food, elected officials who gave a combined $1 million to Second Harvest Food Bank — this groundswell of support during the shutdown may well have been a dress rehearsal. 

Charles Bogray, co-owner of the Tree House Cafe, ordered extra bagels every week since the beginning of November to help feed Boulder Creek residents for free. When the federal government shutdown threatened food stability for thousands of families in Santa Cruz County, a handful of local business owners like Bogray stepped up to help. 

“It’s like a beacon of hope in a sense that we’re here for the community,” said Bogray, adding that it was his “civic duty to be here to not just provide food and whatnot for people, but to be here in times for people who’re in need.”

Other businesses found creative ways to support, like offering free or discounted items on their menus and hosting community events where anyone could get a free meal, including Rebeca’s Bakery in Watsonville and Chubbs Chicken Sandwiches in Santa Cruz. 

Steamer Lane Supply, a grab-and-go restaurant in Lighthouse Field State Park, launched a “Dollar ‘Dilla” menu, offering panini-pressed quesadillas for $1 to SNAP recipients. Owner Fran Grayson said it felt necessary to find a way to meet the community’s need for food.

“We’re about taking care of people, and our way of taking care of people is through food,” Grayson said. “That’s where we come from in our hearts, what we want to do is feed people.”

Asha Stewart, left, serves Carson Gonzalez at Steamer Lane Supply in Santa Cruz on Nov. 20. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

While the shutdown ended last week and California residents received their monthly food assistance payments after a 10-day delay, food insecurity remains a threat. About 42 million low-income Americans rely on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to put food on the table, including more than 30,000 Santa Cruz County residents. 

Inflation and high food prices means those dollars don’t go as far. Pending changes to eligibility approved in the July federal budget bill are set to cause hundreds, possibly thousands, of county residents to lose monthly food assistance payments from SNAP. 

Keith McHenry, who organizes Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs, said on Nov. 11 the number of people they were serving daily rose from about 150 to more than 200. He also said the number began climbing months before SNAP’s funding was paused.

“We definitely will see a lot more people needing food,” McHenry said. “I answer the hunger hotline, and that’s been crazy for like, four years.” 

People First Executive Director Evan Morrison echoed that sentiment. He said the overall economic downturn and proposed cuts to other safety net programs threaten people’s access to basic needs. 

“Whether it’s the [Medicaid cuts] or whether it’s tariffs, the pending cuts to [federal homeless services funding] — the proposed cuts are going to be catastrophic, we’re looking at thousands of people becoming homeless,” Morrison said. People First also compiles a list online each week of where people can go to get free food.

Local governments stepped in to donate money to Second Harvest Food Bank to help support food distribution efforts, totaling $1 million. That includes $500,000 from Santa Cruz County, $250,000 from the county’s Office of Education, and $100,000 each from the cities of Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Community Foundation Santa Cruz County also donated $100,000.

“We want to contribute toward those local efforts that the county and others are making to help folks out,” said Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley said.

McHenry, of Food Not Bombs, said people who want to support their neighborhoods can organize food drives, or set up a “Little Free Pantry.” Residents could also organize a food exchange, so people can bring and take different foods, with a note welcoming “all income levels” to dissuade people’s potential embarrassment. 

McHenry said he’s heartened by Santa Cruz’s “subculture of compassion,” having seen many residents take it upon themselves to disperse food and funds throughout their neighborhoods. 

“When we do Food Not Bombs on Saturdays and Sundays now, there’s just a parade of well meaning people coming by with clothing and food,” McHenry said.

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