How Internship Inspired Second Harvest CEO, By Tara Fatemi Walker

COMMUNITY NEWS

How Internship Inspired Second Harvest CEO

By Tara Fatemi Walker

Erica Padilla-Chavez started as Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County CEO in July.

She came from Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance, where she had served kids and families of the Pajaro Valley since 2015. Her new role is a natural progression as she continues meeting the needs of these deserving individuals and even expands her impact.

Career Change

Several factors inspired Padilla-Chavez to embrace this opportunity. As the pandemic worsened, she heard from PVPSA staff that clients needed food and didn’t have money for rent.

“We had to pivot to facilitate meeting clients’ needs,” she said.

She reached out to The Food Bank and was impressed with how fast they set up a pantry and bimonthly food distributions. Padilla-Chavez realized Second Harvest Food Bank helps many partner organizations achieve their individual missions.

“Every organization we partner with uses the distribution of food to better accomplish their own goals (for example PVPSA fulfills mental health needs),” she said. “So, it’s win-win!”

Another reason she joined The Food Bank was to “work alongside stellar leaders who are committed to making people’s lives better.”

Salud Internship

Padilla-Chavez attended Watsonville High, UC Berkeley, and Golden Gate University—the latter for a master’s in public administration. As a high school junior, she had a Salud Para la Gente internship opportunity that made her realize she was passionate about working with the community.

It was the height of the HIV epidemic. Salud was seeking students to disseminate education and prevention strategies throughout the community, including teaching individuals who used needles how to clean them.

“I was trained on how to engage in conversation and how to use motivational interviewing techniques,” she said. “I talked to our homeless population that was living in the Watsonville riverbanks, and discovered I really like working with people.”

Because of this positive experience with Salud, Padilla-Chavez thought medicine would be a good field to pursue.

“I was pre-med early on at UC Berkeley. After a year-and-a-half of doing pre-requisites and pulling my hair out,” she laughs, “I realized it wasn’t really medicine I was after. It was connecting with people.”

Shifting to a sociology major, she worked with organizations that were meeting food insecurity needs and other public health needs of the homeless population in Berkeley and nearby.

After college she returned to Watsonville and worked in the nonprofit sector developing leadership abilities among youth.

“What I found was that issues for addressing the needs of youth and their families were similar to those for the homeless,” she said.

She realized no matter what group she’s working with, a primary focus needs to be identifying linkages and supports in the areas they and their families need.

“This perspective—understanding a person needs not just one thing, there’s an interconnectedness to what really can support them to help them thrive—is something I use in how I approach my work and my life,” she explained.

At Second Harvest Food Bank, she looks forward to developing partnerships with organizations that help individuals and families flourish, “especially for the people we’re taking care of here at The Food Bank.”

Parental Influence

Padilla-Chavez’s parents, who are immigrants, had a profound influence on her life.

“I was born and raised in Watsonville,” she said. “During Pajaro Valley’s history, the economic ecosystem has experienced challenging periods. The earthquake, but also the exodus of canneries from our community in the 1980s.”

Her parents were cannery workers, so this left her family in a predicament. She was 11 years old.

“We were food insecure, but I didn’t know it,” she said. “My parents did an outstanding job helping me and my siblings feel safe and secure.”

Her parents volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank, packing food for friends and neighbors affected by the closures.

“As my eldest sister and I assisted my parents in the food distribution, I thought I was just helping our friends,” she said. “I enjoyed it. We were allowed to pack a bag of food for ourselves with the leftovers. After a few times I realized, ‘we actually are benefiting from this too.’ Today, I know there were a couple things going on. One, it was my parents’ way of ensuring we had something to eat. But even more importantly, it instilled in us the importance of taking care of our neighbors.”

She believes her framework of understanding what people need comes from this exposure.

“I’m proud to say all of my siblings are community-centered people as a result of wonderful parents, ones who taught us this country has given them—and us—an opportunity to make our lives something that can fulfill us individually and simultaneously make the world a better place,” she said. “My parents are my biggest mentors.”

Passion for Equity

During Padilla-Chavez’s tenure as CEO, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance expanded from a staff of 20 serving 2,500, to a staff of more than 65 serving 7,000. Her drive is undeniable.

When she returned to Watsonville after college, it struck her that many issues she witnessed as a youth were still present.

“I asked myself, how can this be?” she said. “We need to work differently. Because the economic insecurity and food insecurity are still here, the lack of good-paying jobs is still here, mental health needs are on the rise. My drive comes from understanding I have the experience of being born and raised here and understanding the challenges for me and the people I grew up with…and then returning and finding there were still indicators that needed focus.”

She disagrees with the adage ‘things are the way they are.’

“That would mean I accept that people are going to have to live with what they have,” she said. “And I don’t accept that. We can change the outcome of individuals. This is facilitated by the opportunities we provide. Not just economic ones: All opportunities. Like the fact that I even had an internship opportunity at Salud that propelled me to be where I am today. I want the best for people. It’s that simple.”

When asked to discuss her leadership style, she says, “I facilitate partnerships to do good. I thrive on bringing people together with diverse perspectives and opinions and developing solutions to address a common problem. Hunger insecurity is complex, it’s a symptom of something deeper. I’m interested in engaging folks to determine how we can begin to address root causes to the food insecurity issues of our county.”

Home and Family

Padilla-Chavez, 47, lives in Soledad.

“We are fortunate we were able to raise our family nearby. Twenty-one years ago, I wanted to buy a house in Santa Cruz County. Like many, I couldn’t afford it…we found a community in the Salinas Valley. What was supposed to be a two-year ‘equity-garnering opportunity’ ended up becoming a lifetime. Housing and home ownership are important for all families, including the people we support at Second Harvest Food Bank. It’s getting harder and harder.”

They are exploring a move back home, hopefully in the next year.

“We’re going to see how we can get ourselves back to Santa Cruz County,” she said.

She is a self-described empty nester and Cal Poly mom. “My son’s about to turn 21, he’s at Cal Poly SLO. My daughter, 19, is at Cal Poly Pomona.”

Over the years, she has improved her work/life balance. “Sometimes I can be in the office for 24 hours and still feel I need more time. I’m a workaholic, but I’ve learned over the course of my career that setting boundaries for my family is important.”

When time allows, she enjoys jogging, walking, and spending time in nature. “Gardening is a hobby I haven’t had enough time for lately,” she said. “Now that my kids are returning to school, I look forward to getting back to growing my tomatoes, my lettuce, and my strawberries.” n

“COVID Update” from page 7

Last year, the State of California said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must give full approval of vaccines before rulemaking to require the Covid-19 vaccine. That has not happened; vaccines have been made available with the FDA granting emergency use authorization.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled in July that only the state can require students to be vaccinated to attend in-person school.

The very contagious variant BA.5 and waning immunity from vaccines boosted cases this summer. The CDC reported BA.5 comprised 88.9% of cases in August, with 4.3% being BA.4.

BA.5 drove “reinfections,” people vaccinated and boosted getting Covid for a second or even a third time as the coronavirus evolves.

With the U.S. averaging 390 deaths a day, compared to 3,000 last winter, there is no evidence this subvariant causes more serious illness.

Cases

Santa Cruz County cases are on a rollercoaster, 1,705 on June 13, then 2,000 on June 27, and 1,871 on June 30, then 2,040 on July 11 and now 1,217.

Cases jumped after holidays but the high of 199 on July 5 and again July 18 is low compared to 1,312 on Jan. 20.

California hospitalizations from Omicron peaked in January at 20,000, plummeted to 950, rose and now are declining.

The state reports 3,100 people hospitalized. The Department of Public Health explains about half are due to Covid, with the other half coming to the hospital for another reason and testing positive.

The state reports test positivity, 23% in January, fell to 1.7% before rising to 16.1%, then falling to 10%.

Lawsuits

Nick Rolovich, the football coach fired by Washington State University for refusing to get the Covid-19 vaccine, filed a lawsuit claiming wrongful termination and is seeking $25 million, according to KREM-TV.

Rolovich, who is Catholic, was denied a religious exemption after the governor mandated state employees get the vaccine.

He was paid $3.2 million per year and had three seasons left on his contract. The athletic director said he was fired for “just cause.”

In July, Dr. Douglas Mackenzie, a surgeon in Santa Barbara County, and Physicians for Informed Consent, sued William Prasifka, executive director of the Medical Board of California, challenging attempts to sanction physicians who disagree with governmental Covid-19 edicts.

At a school board meeting in August 2021 via Zoom, Mackenzie said, “We are not going to get to zero Covid ever. We can’t make it disappear with a vaccine, especially one that may improve symptoms, but as we are seeing, won’t stop reinfection or transmission.”

The Medical Board closed the investigation after the lawsuit was filed. Mackenzie contends his comments are protected by the First Amendment.

His attorney Richard Jaffe expects a hearing on a preliminary injunction motion at the end of September or mid-October.

Assembly Bill 2098 was proposed to make it a disciplinable offense for a physician to publicly challenge public health Covid edict. Mackenzie contends that would violate the First Amendment. The bill was shelved Aug. 1.

Feds for Medical Freedom, which represents federal employees and contractors, is awaiting appellate review in New Orleans of President Biden’s Sept. 9, 2021 order requiring 3.5 million federal employees to be vaccinated for Covid-19.

The group, which has about 6,000 members, contends the president overstepped his authority.

Young Children & Covid

About 941,000 children under age 5 in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the CDC. This is about 4.8% of the 19 million children in this age group.

In California, 2.2% of kids under 5 have been vaccinated.

Seven countries offer vaccines to the youngest children. Eligibility starts at age 2 in Cuba and Venezuela, and age 3 in Chile and Argentina, Bahrain, Hong Kong and China.

In Santa Cruz County, parents who want their children under 5 to receive Covid-19 vaccines should contact their doctor.

The Santa Cruz County Office of Education and county Public Health hosted two town halls for parents on the vaccine for children under 5. Listen at https:// santacruzcoe.org/town-halls-covid-19vaccine-for-under-5-year-olds/

Covid has claimed the lives of many elders, those 85 and older with medical conditions, but relatively few children, 442 children age 4 and under, according to the federal Centers for Control & Prevention.

More than 1 million people in the U.S. have died of Covid, so young children represent a tiny percentage of deaths.

Could it be that young children represent an untapped windfall for the drug-makers?

It all depends on whether these vaccines are added to the CDC vaccine schedule for children. See https://www. cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/ child-adolescent.html

Data Analysis

This database, https://vaers.hhs. gov/, is where health care providers are to report adverse events after a vaccine. It was created after Congress passed a law in 1986 protecting vaccine manufacturers from civil personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits resulting from vaccine injuries.

An early briefing document said, “The CDC will perform Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR) data mining on a weekly basis or as needed.”

This would compare the proportion of an adverse event after getting a specific vaccine vs. the same adverse event after another vaccine. A higher rate would serve as a safety signal to trigger investigation.

On June 21, Josh Guetzkow, a PhD at Hebrew University, posted the CDC response to his Freedom of Information Act request asking about this data mining.

FOIA Officer Roger Andoh’s June 16 letter said that “no PRRs were conducted by CDC. Furthermore, data mining is outside of the agency’s purview, staff suggest you inquire with FDA.”

Guetzkow called PRRs “one of the oldest, most basic and most well-established tools of pharmacovigilance.”

Omicron Less Deadly

The Omicron variants are less deadly than the Delta variant, which raged in 2021.

Santa Cruz County reports 45 Covid deaths after Omicron, compared to 225 as of Dec. 15, before Omicron.

One statistic is similar: 79% to 81% of those who died had medical conditions.

Why do people fear Omnicron?

They may have a medical condition (diabetes, obesity, asthma, high blood pressure).

Half of Americans do, so they are at higher risk for severe Covid illness.

So are people 85 and older.

Myocarditis

In a 2022 report in the Journal of American Medical Association online, Dr. Matthew Oster of the CDC reported the government’s VAERS database received 1,991 reports of myocarditis after one dose of mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine and 1,626 met the CDC’s definition for probable or confirmed myocarditis.

Oster’s conclusion: “The risk of myocarditis after receiving mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines was increased across multiple age and sex strata and was highest after the second vaccination dose in adolescent males and young men. This risk should be considered.”

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, which can lead to clots, a stroke or heart attack.

Public health officials say the scientific consensus is that Covid vaccines are safe, but some are skeptical about relying on science from drug-makers, which saw profits rise in 2021.

Analysts say Pfizer has been one of the largest winners in the last two years, doubling revenue to $81 billion in sales in 2021 due to its Covid vaccine. This year, it’s selling Paxlovid, a Covid pill that has a higher price per dose.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar invoked the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, a 2005 law allowing him to provide legal protection to companies making or distributing critical medical supplies such as vaccines unless there’s “willful misconduct” by the company. This protection lasts until 2024.

Test to Treat

Santa Cruz County offers “Test to Treat” sites, open to anyone regardless of insurance or documentation status. For an appointment, visit https://lhi.care/ covidtesting/.

According to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, cases in local schools peaked at 4,407 on Jan. 27, dropped to 44 on April 1, rose to 1,150 on May 25, dropped to 235 on Aug. 7, and now 401.

The 14-day positivity rate, 12.25% on January, dropped to .79%, rose to 9.63% and now is 3.21%.

The Santa Cruz County Office of Education, which has completed 556,200 tests with Inspire Diagnostics, offers drivethough testing for students, staff and families at:

Cabrillo College, Aptos, Parking Lot K, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Santa Cruz County Office of Education, 399 Encinal St., Santa Cruz, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

See: https://tinyurl.com/get-tested-santacruz.

Booster shots: https://myturn.ca.gov/

Vaccine providers: www.santacruzhealth. org/coronavirusvaccine.

Local information: www.santacruzhealth. org/coronavirus or (831) 454-4242 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. n •••

Total COVID cases: 1,217

••• COVID Deaths: 270 As of Aug. 22 Age 85 and older: 118 • 75-84: 62 • 65-74: 48 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 4 • 45-54: 10 35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5 Underlying Conditions Yes: 220 • No: 50 Vaccinated Yes: 35 • No: 235 Race White 157 • Latinx 90 • Asian 16 Black 3 • Amer Indian 1 Hawaiian 1 • Another 2 Gender Men: 138 • Women: 132 Location At facility for aged: 117 Not at a facility: 153