Community spotlight: Did you know you can now donate excess crops and edible food batches to help feed local seniors and community members?
Grey Bears, a nonprofit based in Santa Cruz, California, gladly accepts donations of fresh produce and other food goods to help feed 4,400 local seniors and 1,145 community members including veterans, families, and farmworkers.
Grey Bear’s Healthy Foods Program got its start in 1973 by gleaning unharvested produce from local gardens and farm fields to provide nourishment for local seniors. Over 50 years later, Grey Bears continues this tradition through gleaning from local food generators, including farms, manufacturers, stores, and delis. Donated and recovered food is then distributed throughout the community through 4,000 Healthy Food Bags for seniors each week, an on-site food distribution center, and a hot meal program. In the past year, Grey Bears has delivered 180,915 Healthy Food Bags containing 1,138,044 pounds of produce and pantry staples, distributed 1,721,489 pounds of groceries at the Grey Bears Market, and served 53,859 meals from their volunteer kitchen.
Since the pandemic ended, community food resources like Grey Bears have seen a sharp drop in the amount of food donated, while need has remained, or in some cases, increased. And while Santa Cruz County has some of the most renowned produce in the world, access to local organic produce is a luxury many do not have. Meanwhile, food waste remains the largest methane producer in landfills in California, with half of landfill waste from organic waste. Donating excess food doesn’t just help you save during tax season; it supports a greener, food-secure community.
Donating food has never been easier: for convenience, Grey Bears accepts donation drop-offs to its Chanticleer Facility (2710 Chanticleer Ave.) Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and will also pick up from local vendors and food generators with their fleet of refrigerated and non-refrigerated vehicles. For more information, contact Danielle Wong, Healthy Food Program director at danielle@greybears.org, or call (831) 479-1055.