Second Harvest: Food for Flooded People

On Monday afternoon, a Second Harvest community outreach team visited flood victims in Bay Village and adjacent communities in Watsonville, canvassing doorto-door and asking whether residents need food.

If so, a supply of fresh vegetables and shelf-stable pantry items will be provided on the spot by The Food Bank.

As Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County canvasses local neighborhoods in days following historic flooding, it is the continuation of an immediate response during the flooding and subsequent disaster.

“Recovery Center” from page 21

According to Santa Cruz Small Business Development Center Director Brandon Small, business advisors can provide business assistance to clients on a wide variety of matters designed to help small business owners re-establish their operations, overcome the effects of the disaster and plan for their future. Services include assessing business working capital needs, evaluating the business’s strength, cash flow projections, and most importantly, a review of options with the business owner to help them evaluate their

A combination of an atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclone, compounding the effects of years-long drought conditions which caused flooding and evacuations in Santa Cruz County in the first 15 days of 2023.

Second Harvest Food Bank stepped up efforts immediately by lending labor and transport for sand bagging and emergency food distributions.

Second Harvest coordinated six of its partner agencies who rotated and provided a total of 5,815.

Partner agencies providing aid were Watsonville Salvation Army, Pajaro Valley Loaves & alternatives and make decisions that are appropriate for their situation, he added.

Businesses of any size and private nonprofits may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets. These loans cover losses that are not fully covered by insurance or other recoveries.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, nonprofits of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster.

Fishes, Martha’s Kitchen, Grey Bears, Westview Presbyterian, and St. Francis Soup Kitchen.

Once the evacuation centers were closed on Jan. 18, Second Harvest advanced to the next effort, resupplying hard-hit neighborhoods that lost food during flooding and power outages.

Since many flood victims in senior communities are house-bound, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County, convened a team to take food to the people.

“We’ve put together a mobile pantry and are knocking on doors to fill the urgent need for food in Watsonville,” said Second Harvest CEO,

Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered property damage.

The deadline to apply for property damage loans is March 16. The deadline to apply for economic injury loans is Oct. 16.

Business owners unable to visit the business recovery center in person can apply online at https://disasterloanassistance.sba. gov/ or https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.

SBA representatives continue to meet with business owners and residents at disaster recovery centers located in California.