Because of budget cuts, Coral Street shelter meals now cost 50 cents.
There’s no more free food at the Homeless Services Center on Coral Street. With donations down and support from the state slashed, the Center has begun charging 50 cents a meal.
The Homeless Services Center serves an estimated 124,000 meals every year, at a cost of $175,000. It is now hoping that the new fee will help it to raise between $35,000 and $50,000 to cover the costs. While activists on behalf of the homeless call this a “step backwards,” the Center has made clear that there are alternatives for people who cannot pay, including scholarships for the most needy or a chance to work for their meals by doing chores around the shelter.
Responses to the new fee have been mixed, with meal participation dropping at first, but rising to normal levels within just a few days. Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
