Santa Cruz County is faced with an obesity epidemic, even though as many as 60,000 people—some 33 percent more than just two years ago, are dependent on food banks to meet their nutritional needs. That’s why Second Harvest, the largest food provider in the county, is doing what it can to tackle obesity. It is focusing on fresh produce, whether from local growers or from produce that fails to meet grocery chain standards. According to Willy Elliott-McCrea, CEO of Second Harvest Santa Cruz, his group has bought about 2 million pounds of potatoes, carrots, onions, and apples, all between 6 and 10 cents a pound.
The deals made with suppliers have one enormous benefit. They allow Second Harvest to stretch their funds, turning a $1 donation into $8 worth of food. On the other hand, they have to deal with the problem that unlike processed foods, most of the fresh food items they receive have a limited shelf life. This means they have less than a week to get them from the warehouse to the private pantries of people who need the food most. It’s a challenge, but he also points out that many of the families using the food bank are making daily choices as to whether they will buy food for their families or cover such basic expenses as rent or electricity. By turning to the food bank, they have made their decision. Now it is left to Second Harvest to figure out how to best respect their needs.
