Hunger Fighter of the Year: Darrie Ganzhorn To Be Honored By Second

Hunger Fighter of the Year

Darrie Ganzhorn To Be Honored By Second Harvest March 4

By Jondi Gumz

Darrie Ganzhorn will be honored as Hunger Fighter of the Year by Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County at a virtual awards celebration 4:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 4..

Holiday Food & Fund Drive Co-Chairs Megan Martinelli and Carlos Palacios, along with fellow Santa Cruz County Hunger Heroes and Hunger Fighters will recognize the accomplishments of so many in 2021 – the second year of a global pandemic. More than 225 people plan to attend. RSVP at https://give.thefoodbank. org/campaigns/17468-annual-awardscelebration-celebrating-you

Ganzhorn has been executive director of the Homeless Garden Project for more than 25 years, planting seeds and transforming lives.

The nonprofit provides a way out of being homeless, giving people experience growing produce and flowers on a 3-acre organic farm on Westside Santa Cruz with a seasonal farm stand, and creating salves, soaps, herbal seasonings, teas, baking mixes and jellies sold online and at a store in downtown Santa Cruz.

Each year, about 17 trainees are selected to participate in the oneyear program, where they are paid as they learn. On the Home Garden Project website, Patricia, Cody and Chris share their stories of lives transformed.

Over the past six years, 97% of trainees got jobs or a stable income -- and 90% got housing.

In 2020, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the farm produced 20,000 pounds of organic produce. Trainees logged 14,000 paid hours. The volunteer program was scaled back for safety, yet 501 people contributed 3,421 hours to support various projects. The Community Supported Agriculture program was fully subscribed with 66 people signed up to get a weekly box of organic produce (and a wait list).

The Feeding 2 Birds campaign made 30 shares to nonprofits such as Hospice, Boys and Girls Club and Gemma, providing their clients with organic produce, herbs and flowers.

A new partnership with Coke Farm, an organic grower in San Juan Batista, created “Growing the Table” to address summer food insecurity due to Covid, packing and delivering 2,400 food boxes through 20 local organizations. Among the recipients families at Gault Elementary in Santa Cruz. In the summer, the Homeless Garden Project created “Lean on Me,” a community event for vendors to build connections. A virtual fundraiser featured wellknown chef and restaurateur David Kinch, giving attendees a kit of farm ingredients to make a recipe with Kinch.Darrie Ganzhorn Ganzhorn promoted the “21 Day Challenge,” a three-week commitment with daily lessons to understand connections between race, justice and food systems. The plan is to repeat this in 2022.

“Hunger Fighter” page 18

Save The Date!

Save The Date! Save The Date!

GOLF TOURNAMENT

FRIDAY– APRIL 29th, 2022 GOLF TOURNAMENT GOLF TOURNAMENT