Santa Cruz Luminary Stephen Kessler Discusses his Latest Collection of Poetry, ‘Last Call’

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Santa Cruz Luminary Stephen Kessler Discusses his Latest Collection of Poetry, ‘Last Call’

Essayist, translator, pundit and award-winning poet Stephen Kessler has been courting the muses for over 50 years. Kessler’s recently released 12th collection of poetry, Last Call, is an elegant exploration of Santa Cruz, music, love lost, growing old, irony and pandemic-induced epiphanies—at 169 pages, it’s his largest collection yet. 

GT: Briefly tell us about how this collection of poems came about. What time period did they span? Where do they fit in your oeuvre?

STEPHEN KESSLER: My books tend to coincide with periods or “chapters” in my life. The poems in Last Call were written between January 2017, when I turned 70, and February of this year when I received my first Covid vaccination. Those years happened to coincide with two terrible events in the personal and the public realm: the breakup of my marriage and the presidency of Donald Trump. So there was a lot of tough material to process, which accounts for the sense of grief and loss, especially in the first section of the book, “Bad Luck Charms.” My hope was and is through the alchemy of the language to turn all that hurt into something else—including ironic distance—the same way singing the blues can transform pain and heartbreak into something beautiful and consoling, maybe even funny.  

You’re known for the jazz syncopation of your poems, the way the lines stride and swing into each other. Do you read the work aloud as you write? Or only afterward? How does it work?

I write by hand on paper (or with occasional exceptions on a manual typewriter) and try to let my hand do the thinking guided by the technical skills I’ve developed over about 65 years of practice, just as a jazz musician typically improvises spontaneously without reflection, letting the trained ear and fingers direct where the melody is going. I hear it in my head as it’s being written and try to just let it rip according to where the sounds of the language lead. Then I may read it to myself in a whisper to feel how it tastes as much as to hear how it sounds. If it feels more or less like natural speech but spring-loaded for torque from one line to the next, that’s the effect I’m hoping for. Sometimes it comes out right the first time, and at other times it requires revision. But I always let it sit for a while to let it cool off so I can have a more objective look—and listen—at what I’ve written. If it’s not working, and I can’t fix it with a few adjustments, I tend to set it aside and move on to the next one, rather than try to save every poem by revising as extensively as I did when I was younger. 

I see more willingness to indulge in alliterative lines, in internal rhymes within the lines themselves. Were you consciously expanding your style in this collection?

Alliteration, internal rhyme, vowel rhyme and other prosodic devices have always served as my tools and techniques of composition, so I don’t see how this book is any different in that respect from most of my earlier work. But one’s style evolves, and I enjoy surprising myself from one line, one poem, and certainly one book to the next. At this stage of the game, I’m less concerned with writing a perfect poem (or a perfect book) than in letting the lines move to their own measure, so in that respect, they may feel more indulgent or expansive in some way. But as I said, I’ve been reading and writing verse for so long—since childhood—that I feel enough confidence in my technical chops to let the poem take its own organic form. So there are lots of different shapes and sizes and styles of poems in this collection. 

Which muse pulled stronger, growing older or enduring quarantine?

Normally I’m accustomed to spending a lot of time at home alone with the writing, so the lockdowns weren’t all that inconvenient for me. But being increasingly old is something I don’t know if anyone ever gets used to, so the physical and psychic realities of entering “old age” (even though 70 is the new 50, and I’m reasonably healthy) play a much bigger part in the composition of this book—only the last year of which, maybe a dozen or 15 poems, was written during the pandemic.

Can you reflect on the bittersweet irony of publishing your most ambitious late-career book and calling it Last Call just when COVID shut down the world? As if the title were the leitmotif of the era itself.

The title came to me very early on, with the poem of that title, which I think was written about four years ago, so the pandemic had nothing to do with it. That poem was literally written at the bar of a local restaurant where the bartender was calling for any last orders before closing. It matched my gloomy mood of the moment and seemed fitting for the late-life themes I was wrestling with. Everyone asks if it’s meant as a valediction, and I think probably not, but then again, you never know.  I certainly intend to keep writing, but that’s not entirely up to me. I expect the world will go on, with or without me.  

Much as complex recipes in fine cuisine, this work more than ever lays down opposing riffs—sweet and salty, joy and pain, darkness and clarity. A poet’s-eye view of the rhythm of existence itself?

In writing, as in cooking, I use whatever ingredients and seasonings are at hand. I definitely prefer a book—my own or anyone else’s—that moves through a range of themes and moods and motifs rather than repeats a formula over and over. Doesn’t everyone go through different rhythms of existence? Looking back over some 50 years of publishing, I feel as if I’ve consistently tried to respond as honestly as possible to the full range of my lived experience. I just hope I’ve gone deep enough that the poems resonate with the experience of others.

In your work, you never draw attention to craft—form, composition, conscious/slant rhyming. Yet I have to admire the impeccable line breaks like some of these in “Last Call”: 

trees crashing through
roofs, blackouts,
rivers rising and
spilling into living
rooms leaving a film

Does the spontaneous observation trump craft in your work? Or were these poems different in feel/form?

What you call “craft” I call technique, and it’s baked into the writing in a way that’s inseparable from imagination or observation, just as form and content in the best poems are seamlessly integrated. I learned the fundamentals when I was in elementary school by reading (for fun!) traditional English poetry (my family had a paperback copy of Palgrave’s Golden Treasury of Songs and Lyrical Poems) and writing imitations of rhymed and metered verse—usually just to entertain my friends.  I wrote the lyrics to the class song for both grade school and high school graduations.  I learned to write a poem for any occasion. Most of those efforts, when they weren’t intentionally funny, were no good as poetry except in a formal sense: they scanned metrically according to whatever form I was imitating, and they rhymed at the ends of the lines.  So listening for rhythm and rhyme became habitual, and by the time, around 18 or 19, I started writing “free verse”—a misnomer because it demands even more formal control than fixed forms, requires that you create your own form on the blank page—these prosodic principles were ingrained in me.

It took me many more years, decades even, to learn to deploy them effectively in composition, but by now, I’ve been doing it for so long that the form the poem takes is second nature and almost unconscious until I look and see what I’ve done. In the case of the title poem you quote from, the length of the lines was determined by the width of the notebook page I was writing on; the breaks just happened to work as written, so I didn’t mess with it.  Other poems written in the same pocket notebook came out completely different because I heard the breaks fall in different places. 

Some poems in this collection are only a few words wide, forcing me to read downward (vertically) in a single gulp. Others stretch more words across the page, slowing down your voice and the reader’s intake. How do these decisions come to you?

Funny, for me, short lines tend to slow a poem down, and long lines move more swiftly across the page. That just shows how we all read differently. As noted above, in some cases, it’s the width of the page I’m writing on, or in the case of “Borges’s Belt,” it was the strip of paper I was typing on as the poem describes its own physical creation. “Paisley Yours” is in the voice of the model in the middle of a magazine page, and the narrow white space on either side of the image determined the long skinny shape of the poem as I typed it on my 1974 Adler manual portable. Others may start as prose in the first draft, and once I see the whole thing, I find where the breaks belong. And still, others are composed originally as verse because the lines come to me one at a time, and that’s the way I set them down. Most of these decisions make themselves according to how the composition unfolds. I don’t have any rational method; it’s a much more intuitive process based on the measure I hear in my head.  I find the formal openness yet technical precision required of “free verse” as mysterious and unpredictable as to how the poem’s images are imagined—usually by sonic association more than conscious choice. At best, I feel like a medium or an amanuensis to the muses, just taking dictation.

Do you know when the words are good?

Usually—but not how. Sometimes in real-time as they’re set down; at other times only later, from a more detached perspective. In some ways, it’s easier to know when they’re not so good when they’re clunky or prosaic or just “off” in some way. When the good ones are coming, I’m too caught in the flow to really understand what’s happening, and when I see what I’ve done, I can’t figure out how it happened—composition as possession. I’ve learned to surrender to whatever it is that’s got hold of me, usually some kind of rhythmic riff, a few words strung together, a phrase unfolding according to its own melodic logic.  And it feels good when the words are good—so I guess that’s how I know.

An appreciation: “Discourse on Distraction” is a disarming piece of rumination, in which you move from the almost Platonic general down to the tangible specific. The last lines are among your finest, in which you speak to the man within the poet:

there is no escaping the script you write with every step,
the strange rhymes ringing amid the dissonance,
the gifts, the great griefs, 
the peripheral visions.

Visit stephenkessler.com for ‘Last Call’ and Kessler’s other work.

Covid-19 Outbreak Reported at Santa Cruz Main Jail

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Covid-19 Outbreak Reported at Santa Cruz Main Jail

SANTA CRUZ—Several inmates at Santa Cruz County Main Jail tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday in what jail officials say is the most significant outbreak since the start of the pandemic.

According to Sheriff’s Sgt. Daniel Robbins, about 12 inmates have tested positive are under quarantine protocol.

The rash of cases came to light during routine testing, Robbins stated in a press release.

Those who tested positive are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. 

The inmates who test positive will be isolated and monitored by medical staff, Robbins said. 

Approximately 35-40 inmates were exposed as well, and are also under quarantine, he said. 

Anyone brought into the jail is given a rapid PCR test, and are quarantined until they receive a negative test result.

Inmates are also offered the Covid-19 vaccine, provided masks, given extra cleaning materials, and encouraged to socially distance themselves. 

Jail officials say they are investigating the source of the outbreak. 

“We are committed to ensuring the safety of all 279 inmates at the main jail as well as our staff,” Robbins said.

Poetry Event Stopped After ‘Zoombombing’

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Poetry Event Stopped After ‘Zoombombing’

WATSONVILLE—A virtual event created to highlight writers of color was canceled on Nov. 11 after a group of anonymous attackers logged on to their Zoom meeting, and then shouted racial and homophobic slurs and broadcast pornographic images.

Such an attack is known as a Zoombombing, named after the website that hosts many online meetings.

Several well-known writers were scheduled to read their work during the event, which was sponsored by Pajaro Valley Arts and Writers of Color Santa Cruz County and was part of the former’s ‘Mi Casa es Tu Casa’ annual exhibit.

This included Watsonville native Jaime Cortez, a gay Latino writer whose autobiography has garnered praise in reviews by NPR and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Cortez declined to be interviewed for this story, saying it would give the attackers attention they do not deserve.

Organizer Vivian Vargas, a member of Writers of Color Santa Cruz County, said the incident happened just after the event began, starting with flashing lights and shouts. The heckles eventually escalated to hardcore pornography.

Vargas was one of several participants who were removing the miscreants—she kicked out at least eight—who would quickly log back in again, in what she described as a game of “whack-a-mole.”

“It was just impossible to continue with the event,” she said.

The incident was not reported to the police, Vargas said, and the motive behind the attack remains unclear.

But the fact that the event was hosted by Writers of Color Santa Cruz County was not lost on Vargas.

“We had Latinx, we had Black, we had Asian, we had Native American writers who were going to participate and none of them got the opportunity to read,” she said. “This was more than annoying, this was vicious, and I wondered if this had been European writers reading poetry, would that have been an event they would have chosen to Zoom bomb?”

Investigating such an attack can be difficult for law enforcement, says Watsonville Police spokeswoman Michelle Pulido, because it is so hard to track down the perpetrators. 

Because WPD lacks a computer forensics team, police here would turn to the FBI or the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office for serious cases, Pulido says.

In an emailed statement, Zoom spokesman Matt Nagel said that the company “strongly condemns” such behavior.

“We are committed to maintaining an equal, respectful and inclusive online environment for all our users,” Nagel wrote. “We take meeting disruptions extremely seriously and, where appropriate, we work closely with law enforcement authorities.” 

Nagel says that anyone experiencing a similar attack should report it to Zoom and contact law enforcement authorities.

Zoom recommends that users avoid sharing private meeting links and passwords publicly on websites, social media or other public forums.

The attack was not the first of its kind that occurred locally.

Micah Perks, a UCSC professor who runs the creative writing program there, said that a nearly identical attack occurred in Spring 2021 in a “Living Writers” series in which a Black female poet was scheduled to speak.

Organizers quickly kicked out the bombers from the UCSC event, but the attack has changed the way the college hosts some virtual meetings, Perks said. The remaining “Living Writers” workshops were hosted under increased security that removed some of the intimacy of the events by requiring attendees to be on an audio-only function.

“It was really an alienating experience, with consequences for us,” she said. “It was no longer a community-building experience.”

Despite the fact that the attack cast a pall over the event, Vargas says that organizers will not back down from hosting the event, although they will impose added security measures when it is rescheduled.

“We will have our stories told,” she said.

Sups Approve Redistricting Map that will ‘Reunify’ Scotts Valley

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Sups Approve Redistricting Map that will ‘Reunify’ Scotts Valley

The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a plan to redistribute some 3,400 residents—the majority in the northern reaches of the county—as part of the county’s decennial redistricting process.

Under the plan, 491 people in Watsonville’s Apple Hill District will shift from the 2nd to the 4th District, and 613 people will move from the 3rd to the 1st District in the area of Brommer Street and East Harbor.

The city of Scotts Valley, which was split along Highway 17 during the previous redistricting one decade ago, will be “reunified,” shifting 2,300 people from the 1st to the 5th District.

Under state law, jurisdictions must redraw supervisorial boundaries every 10 years using data from the recent census to make the populations equal in each district. When doing so, jurisdictions must, when possible, keep “communities of interest” together, and typically use boundaries such as rivers, streets and highways.

A community of interest is a group of residents with a common set of concerns that may be affected by legislation. That includes ethnic, racial, and economic groups, among others.

The county this year was tasked with redistributing its 271,350 residents.

While the shifts in Watsonville and Santa Cruz garnered little discussion during public comment, the proposal to reunify Scotts Valley did. That proposal came forth during the previous board of supervisors meeting on Nov. 9 in a letter from Scotts Valley Mayor Derek Timm that was forwarded by 2nd District Supervisor Zach Friend.

Timm says the split was confusing for the small city of roughly 11,000 people, which had its own police and fire department boundaries, as well as water and school districts, but shared two supervisors.

“We were split and we felt disenfranchised,” he told the supervisors Tuesday. “What happened 10 years ago can be corrected.”

The new map passed 3-2, with Supervisors Ryan Coonerty of the 3rd district and Bruce McPherson of the 5th district dissenting.

That decision largely rebuked several months of public meetings, research and deliberation conducted by the Santa Cruz County Redistricting Commission that began in earnest in September. 

McPherson, who made a failed motion to support a plan that included the changes in Santa Cruz and Watsonville but not in Scotts Valley, said that all the unincorporated parts of the cities in the county are currently represented by two supervisors.

“The commission is recommending continuing that structure, which has always worked well in my opinion,” he said.

Coonerty said that Timm’s proposal was done properly and reflected his desire to support the city, but said he wanted to follow the commission’s recommendation.

“At this point, in order to have a smooth process, and continuity and fair treatment as all the cities have in our community, I’m supportive of the commission’s recommendations,” he said.

McPherson also said he wanted to support the recommendation of the commission.

“I think the commission’s process of analyzing the census data and considering the public’s input and reviewing the various options really needs to be respected,” McPherson said.

Timm was slammed during the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting for presenting the issue at the “last minute” of the redistricting process.

“What happened last week was blatant politicking,” said Coco Walter, a Ben Lomond business owner. “Mayor Timm jumped straight to the front of the line … that just reeks of entitlement.”

Ben Lomond resident Jayme Ackemann said that, while redistricting, the city of Scotts Valley should not be viewed as a community of interest, and added that a petition opposing the reunification garnered 229 signatures in San Lorenzo Valley. That petition claimed that Timm’s proposal was politically motivated and would further weaken the San Lorenzo Valley’s say in county decisions.

Danny Reber, a Scotts Valley resident and the executive director of that city’s chamber of commerce, said that the split a decade ago came despite public outcry from the city.

“In my opinion, it was a travesty and an injustice when our community was split,” he said.

After the vote, McPherson said that he hoped “Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley can find a better way than in the past to get together.”

Sexually Violent Predator to Move to Bonny Doon Per Judge’s Order

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Sexually Violent Predator to Move to Bonny Doon Per Judge’s Order

The gasps and cries of “oh my God” and “sick” were so loud, as it became clear Judge Syda Cogliati was about to approve the placement of sexually violent predator Michael Cheek in Bonny Doon, the Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge had to warn the public about decorum.

“Anyone who is talking can leave the courtroom now,” she said through her facemask reading YOUR HONOR.

One woman exited promptly. Another began convulsing as if she were about to throw up.

“Be quiet in here or step outside,” a bailiff admonished.

She brought herself under control, choosing to remain.

Monday’s result was not the end hoped for by Santa Cruz Mountains residents in the battle of whether or not a man who raped multiple people in the 1980s, including a teen, could take up residence on Wild Iris Lane.

“It appears the placement is appropriate,” Cogliati said, as she ordered a series of beefed-up security measures to counteract the poor telecommunications services and less-than-desirable law enforcement response times in the area.

Those included a generator that fires up automatically during power blackouts, a satellite phone for the property, a GPS signal booster, a 150-foot-diameter virtual perimeter “dome,” additional physical fencing, a four-camera video surveillance system, bright lighting and a one-on-one, around-the-clock security worker until the court says otherwise.

Joe Brennan, a 41-year-old father of six who lives next door, was hunched forward with his left hand rubbing his temples, his glasses pushed upon his forehead.

“S***, now I have to move,” he says he was thinking at that moment. “This is a nightmare … Who’s going to want to live in my house?”

He said he wondered about how he would break the news to his wife.

In the hallway, afterward, Assistant District Attorney Alex Byers tried to explain to Bonny Doon residents why the court might have paved the way for an officially-designated violent sex criminal to become the newest addition to the neighborhood.

“I’m as frustrated as you are,” he told one distraught local. 

Byers said the judge agreed to let the DA’s office try to get the 6th District Court of Appeal to take up the case.

Mike Geluardi, the president of the Bonny Doon School Board who lives near the site, was deflated.

“The court set an incredibly low bar by saying the alternative is releasing him as a transient,” he said, referring to offenders’ rights case law brought up during the hearing by the judge. “There’s got to be some other type of solution, like a halfway house, that respects Mr. Cheek’s rights.”

And, he said, the company that organized his placement stands to benefit significantly by getting the patient out of the state hospital and into the community.

A $12 million contract between the Department of State Hospitals (DSH) and Liberty Healthcare of California, Inc., obtained by the Press Banner, suggests just how valuable moving someone like Cheek to outpatient status might be for the private company.

According to the agreement, effective July 2018-June 2020, pre-placement patients cost the state $2,154.21 monthly, or $25,850.52 for the year.

However, for an outpatient assigned a single employee providing enhanced supervision, Liberty charged $40,571.71 a month in “add on” costs, or $486,860.52 if this monitoring continued for the entire year.

It’s unclear how contract terms may have changed under the most recent agreement, or how Cheek’s highly-curated treatment plan would compare.

What is clear, however, is just how vigorously the company has been working to pressure the state on the issue of releasing sex offenders.

According to the California State Lobbying Search database, Liberty Healthcare Corp. has spent $79,022.90 lobbying in Sacramento in 2021—so far—via Capitol Advocacy, LLC, and Kate Bell Strategies.

The most recent disclosure, filed Oct. 26, 2021, reveals a $15,750 payment for influence work that included lobbying the DSH and the Legislature about the Conditional Release Program—the very one through which Cheek is to be (partially) freed.

While Santa Cruz County had already been verified as an appropriate place for Cheek to live, and his release had been approved, too, the District Attorney’s office contended Wild Iris Lane was rife with a whole host of problems that should rule it out as an option.

Chief among these was the ability to effectively monitor the 78-year-old in the face of frequent and lengthy PG&E outages, wildfire and landslide-related evacuation orders and the presence of children in the area.

Public defender Stephen J. Prekoski said the gambit of filing official paperwork with state authorities to set up a homeschool near the proposed residence—at the 11th hour—wasn’t a good enough reason to deny the move.

“I think it’s obvious what’s going on here,” he said. “You get this NIMBY attitude.”

In fact, Prekoski argued, since all of Cheek’s victims were adults, except for one, the buffer requirement between a predator’s conditional release home and a nearby school shouldn’t even apply.

Cogliati disagreed, but ultimately rejected the validity of the school anyway, finding it was formalized as a tactic to keep Cheek out. And a play structure in the area shouldn’t count as a park, she decided.

“Evidence establishes there was no school or park,” she said.

The judge credited the fact she even considered these objections to the vast outpouring of public comment provided in recent months.

That outcry was largely spearheaded by Geluardi, who successfully urged the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors to symbolically oppose any future placements of Sexually Violent Predators in the county.

Geluardi says Liberty has seen three owners of proposed conditional release sites withdraw from leases, and four Liberty patient-placement applications have been rejected by courts.

“I don’t know what their accounting sheet looks like, but it doesn’t seem to be going well,” he said, adding the community is being forced to trust Cheek will stick with the program. “What Liberty Healthcare is calling ‘supervision’ is going to be a GPS ankle bracelet that does not work off of the property where he’s housed.”

Byers says he’s planning to ask the 6th District to extend the judgment-stay beyond two weeks, as he continues to fight the efforts of Liberty to move Cheek to Bonny Doon.

“They’re a business,” he said. “They’ve been hired to place people.”

Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Nov. 17-23

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Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Nov. 17-23

A weekly guide to what’s happening.

ARTS AND MUSIC

CELTIC TEEN BAND PROGRAM Teenage musicians ages 12-19 play in an ensemble, developing musicianship, flexibility, and musical creativity. Participants work on music from Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, Norway, Sweden, and the United States, in addition to modern and more quirky pieces. Instruments welcomed include fiddle, viola, flute, tin whistle, pipes, cello, upright bass, guitar, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, autoharp, ukulele, Celtic harp, accordion and percussion. Students must have at least two years of experience on their instrument and must be able to read sheet music and chord symbols. The group meets twice a month Wednesday afternoons from 3:30-5pm at the London Nelson Center with fiddle teacher John Weed. Cost is free-$10 per session on a sliding scale. Potential students are welcome to come for a session and see if they like it—no obligation! More information and registration at CommunityMusicSchool.org/teenband. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 3:30pm. London Nelson Community Center, 301 Center St., Santa Cruz.

COMMUNITY DRUMMING WITH JIM GREINER IN PERSON Percussionist/Educator Jim Greiner will conduct the next in his monthly Third Friday series of community drumming sessions at the Inner Light Center in Soquel in person from 7-8:30pm; doors open at 6:45pm. The cost is $10. Masks and social distancing requirements will be honored. Jim makes it fun and easy for people from all walks of life to play drums and hand percussion to release stress, to uplift and energize yourself, and to reinforce positive life rhythms through percussion playing. Friday, Nov. 19, 7-8:30pm. Inner Light Center, 5630 Soquel Drive, Soquel.

FORTUNATE YOUTH PERFORMING LIVE WITH ARTIKAL SOUND SYSTEM The So Cal powerhouse reggae-rock band Fortunate Youth has released their fifth full-length studio album Good Times (Roll On) on Controlled Substance Sound Labs. Bringing a fresh sound dotted with influences of blues, ska, rock, world, and soul, while they reunite once again with their fans on tour. The new album is out now and available everywhere you stream music. Friday, Nov. 19, 9pm. The Catalyst Club, 1011 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.

GLOW: COMMUNITY ART PROJECT RECEPTION A reception and celebration of community art contemplating gratitude, engaging in creative expression, and connecting to the community. Art is available on a donation basis. Donations will fund local art programs and will be collected by the Felton Library Friends. For details please join us at the reception at Felton Branch Library Community Room from 1-4pm. Sunday, Nov. 21, 1pm. Felton Branch Library, 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

LATE NIGHT At THE MAH Don’t miss the launch of our new series, Late Night at the MAH! The museum will be open from 7-10pm featuring a mash-up of current exhibits, The Art of the Santa Cruz Speed Wheel & Ocean of Light: Submergence, plus live music from local punk rock legends Seized Up and a NHS screening of Speed Freaks, a 1989 skate movie by Tony Roberts. The screening of Speed Freaks will begin at 7:30pm then Seized Up will perform at 8:45pm! This masked event has limited capacity. Bring your friends, check out amazing art, buy NHS Speed Wheel merch, and enjoy the show! Thursday, Nov. 18, 7-10pm. Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH), 705 Front St., Santa Cruz.

MORTON MARCUS POETRY READING WITH GARY YOUNG Please join us for the 12th annual Morton Marcus Poetry Reading, featuring honored guest Gary Young. Poet Danusha Laméris will host the program, and the evening will include an announcement of the winner of the Morton Marcus Poetry Contest (recipient receives a $1,000 prize). Gary Young is the author of several collections of poetry. His most recent books are That’s What I Thought, winner of the Lexi Rudnitsky Editor’s Choice Award from Persea Books, and Precious Mirror, translations from Japanese. His other books include Even So: New and Selected Poems; Pleasure; No Other Life, winner of the William Carlos Williams Award; Braver Deeds, winner of the Peregrine Smith Poetry Prize; Days; The Dream of a Moral Life, which won the James D. Phelan Award; and Hands. He has received a Pushcart Prize, and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, and the Vogelstein Foundation, among others. In 2009 he received the Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America. Young was the first Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County, and in 2012 he was named Santa Cruz County Artist of the Year. Since 1975 he has designed, illustrated, and printed limited edition letterpress books and broadsides at his Greenhouse Review Press. His fine print work is represented in numerous collections including the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, The Getty Museum, and special collection libraries throughout the U.S. and Europe. He teaches creative writing and directs the Cowell Press at UCSC. Register online at thi.ucsc.edu/event/gary-young-morton-marcus-poetry-reading. Thursday, Nov. 18, 5:30pm. 

PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES Filled with an exuberant mixture of country/pop/rock and musical theatre tunes, Pump Boys is a slice-of-life show about some down-home folks who run the local gas station and diner in a rural southern town. This cast of characters and their straightforward take on life, love and music will leave you tapping your foot and smiling from ear to ear. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 7:30pm. Thursday, Nov. 18, 7:30pm. Friday, Nov. 19, 8pm. Saturday, Nov. 20, 8pm. Sunday, Nov. 21, 2pm. The Colligan Theater, 1010 River St., Santa Cruz.

COMMUNITY

A CALL TO ACTION: INSPIRED BY ‘NOT IN OUR TOWN’ FILMS This is a bilingual program with live, simultaneous Spanish interpretation. As part of the national United Against Hate Week movement, SCPL has partnered with Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities to bring community members together through films, conversations and actionable opportunities to prevent hate violence and to build safe, inclusive environments where everyone can participate in public life. Join community leaders as they discuss the topics raised in ‘Not in Our Town’ short films and share their perspectives on addressing and preventing hate/bias incidents that occur in Santa Cruz County. Hear differing community approaches to supporting policies and system changes that contribute to a safe and more inclusive community. We invite people from all walks of life to discover how every community member can play a part charting a better future. Films will be made available for free viewing during United Against Week on the Watsonville Film Festival virtual platform. Link will be provided Nov. 14-20, 2021. Watching the selection of Not In Our Town Films is recommended, but not required to participate and learn. Our facilitator for this event is Rabbi Paula Marcus. Registration is required for this virtual event, please visit santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/8478954. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 6:30pm. 

BEAUTIFUL GOWNS FOR SALE AT BARGAIN PRICES The Daisy Store has recently acquired over 200 high-quality gowns and would like to pass on this opportunity to the public at discount prices. The sale will feature 80% off brand new gowns, originally priced at $80-$800. The gowns range from glitzy to subdued and are available in sizes 4-20. They are perfect for any occasion where a bit of glamour is needed—mothers of the bride, quinceaneras, proms, New Year’s Eve, or whatever, wherever, and whenever your heart desires. All proceeds support Family Service Agency programs. Sunday, Nov. 21, 1-4pm. The Daisy Store, 1601 41st Ave., King’s Plaza Shopping Center, Capitola.

CUÉNTAME UN CUENTO Acompáñanos para una hora de cuentos, actividades y canciones en español. Este programa es para niños de 0-8 y sus familias. La hora será miércoles a las 4:30pm. Nos reuniremos en el porche exterior. Cuéntame un Cuento se llevará a cabo en Capitola durante el período de construcción de Live Oak. En caso de mal clima, se cancelará la hora de cuentos. Join us for Spanish Storytime, activities, and music! This program is best suited for kids ages 0-8 and their families. Storytime takes place on Wednesday at 4:30pm. We will meet on the outside porch. Storytime will take place at Capitola during Live Oak’s construction period. In the event of bad weather, storytime will be cancelled. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 4:30pm. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz City County Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ MAKERS MARKET Come on out and support local makers and artists at the Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market every third Sunday of the month. We are now on the 1100 block of Pacific Ave. between Cathcart and Lincoln Streets near New Leaf and alongside so many amazing downtown restaurants. Support local and shop small with over 30 Santa Cruz County artists and makers! Don’t forget to stop in and visit the downtown merchants and grab a bite to eat from the downtown restaurants. Remember to social distance as you shop and wear your mask. If you’re not feeling well, please stay home. There will be hand sanitizing stations at the market and signs to remind you about all these things! Free event, friendly leashed pups are welcome! Sunday, Nov. 21, 10am-5pm. Downtown Santa Cruz Makers Market, Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.

FELTON TODDLER TIME Join Librarian Julie on our beautiful Felton patio for Toddler Time. Toddler Time is a weekly early literacy program for families with children ages 0-3 years old. Music, movement, stories, fingerplays, rhymes, and songs are a fun way for your child to learn. Let’s play and learn together! Make sure to bring something to sit on. We ask that adults please wear a mask. Repeats weekly. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 11am. Felton Branch Library (NEW), 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

GREY BEARS BROWN BAG LINE Grey Bears are looking for help with their brown bag production line on Thursday and Friday mornings. Volunteers will receive breakfast and a bag of food if wanted. Be at the warehouse with a mask and gloves at 7am. Call ahead for more information: 831-479-1055, greybears.org. Thursday, Nov. 18, 7am. California Grey Bears, 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

INTERFAITH MEMORIAL SERVICE AND CANDLE LIGHTING Honor Your Loved One in a Special Holiday Memorial Service. Join us in-person (masks required) or online on November 17th via Resurrection Catholic Community Church’s live stream. A cherished annual tradition, our Interfaith Memorial Service and Candle Lighting is an invitation to pause during the busy holiday season and tune into what counts: remembering a beloved family member, or dear friend, who has died. Whether your loved one recently passed or is someone who you have carried in your heart for many years, this memorial service nourishes tender hearts by honoring both the sadness and joy that comes with remembrance. Our community gathers for words of support, candle lighting, and a remembrance table, for which you are welcome to bring a photograph or object of your loved one. Children and families are welcome. Watch the live stream at youtube.com/channel/UC-OOaTsxzpSPs60Qlt0CIKQ. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 6:30pm. Resurrection Church, 7600 Soquel Drive Aptos, Aptos.

KNITTING AT THE FELTON LIBRARY Join us every Monday afternoon at the Felton Branch for a knitting party. All you need to do is bring some yarn and knitting needles. All ages are welcome. Monday, Nov. 22, 12:30pm. Felton Branch Library, 6121 Gushee St., Felton.

LA SELVA BEACH PRESCHOOL STORYTIME Join us for a fun interactive storytime. We’ll read books, sing songs and use rhythm and movement. This event is suitable for children ages 3-6 years. There will be an arts and crafts project to take home. This event will be held outside on the back patio. Please bring something to sit on and dress for the weather. Masks will be required. Repeats weekly. Tuesday, Nov. 23, 11am. La Selva Beach Branch Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME IN THE SECRET GARDEN Join us in the Secret Garden in Abbott Square at the MAH for storytime! We’ll share stories, songs and rhymes in a safe environment! This 30-40 minute program is intended for children aged 2-6. Do it yourself craft kits will be provided every week. Every other week we will feature STEM-related stories and concepts. Tuesday, Nov. 23, 11am. Abbott Square, 118 Cooper St., Santa Cruz.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL CAPITOLA R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 3pm. Capitola Library A Santa Cruz Public Library Branch, 2005 Wharf Road, Capitola.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL @ DOWNTOWN R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Thursday, Nov. 18, 3pm. Santa Cruz Public Libraries – downtown, 240 Church St., Santa Cruz.

R.E.A.D.: REACH EVERY AMAZING DETAIL @ LA SELVA BEACH R.E.A.D. is one-on-one reading comprehension instruction for readers second-12th grade. Instructors are California credentialed teachers. Sessions are 25 minutes long. By appointment only. Contact SCPL Telephone Information if you have any questions: 831-427-7713. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 3pm. La Selva Beach Branch Library, 316 Estrella Ave., La Selva Beach.

COMMUNITY PILATES MAT CLASS Come build strength with us. This very popular in-person community Pilates Mat Class in the big auditorium at Temple Beth El in Aptos is in session once again. Please bring your own mat, small Pilates ball and theraband if you have one. You must be vaccinated for this indoor class. Suggested donation of $10/class. Thursday, Nov. 18, 10am. Tuesday, Nov. 23, 10am. Temple Beth El, 3055 Porter Gulch Road, Aptos.

GROUPS

ENTRE NOSOTRAS GRUPO DE APOYO Entre Nosotras support group for Spanish speaking women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets twice monthly. Registration required, please call Entre Nosotras 831-761-3973. Friday, Nov. 19, 6pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

S+LAA MENS’ MEETING Having trouble with compulsive sexual or emotional behavior? Recovery is possible. Our small 12-step group meets Saturday evenings. Enter through the front entrance, go straight down the hallway to the last door on the right. Thursday, Nov. 18, 6pm. Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center, 2900 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz.

WOMENCARE ARM-IN-ARM WomenCARE Arm-in-Arm Cancer support group for women with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic cancer. Meets every Monday, currently on Zoom. Registration is required, call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. All services are free. For more information visit womencaresantacruz.org. Monday, Nov. 22, 12:30pm. 

WOMENCARE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION Mindfulness Meditation for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets the 1st and 3rd Friday, currently on Zoom. Registration Required: WomenCARE 831 457-2273. Friday, Nov. 19, 11am-noon. 

WOMENCARE TUESDAY SUPPORT GROUP WomenCARE Tuesday Cancer support group for women newly diagnosed and through their treatment. Meets every Tuesday currently on Zoom. Registration required, call WomenCARE 831-457-2273. Tuesday, Nov. 23, 12:30-2pm. 

WOMENCARE: LAUGHTER YOGA Laughter yoga for women with a cancer diagnosis. Meets every Wednesday, currently via Zoom. Registration is required, please call WomenCARE at 831-457-2273. Wednesday, Nov. 17, 3:30-4:30pm. WomenCARE, 2901 Park Ave., Suite A1, Soquel.

OUTDOOR

CASFS FARMSTAND Organic vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers are sold weekly at the CASFS Farmstand, starting June 15 and continuing through Nov. 23. Proceeds support experiential education programs at the UCSC Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems. Friday, Nov. 19, Noon-6pm. Tuesday, Nov. 23, Noon-6pm. Cowell Ranch Historic Hay Barn, Ranch View Road, Santa Cruz.

ENVIRONMENT VS. ECOLOGY: DECODING THE DECLINE OF A KELP FOREST ECOSYSTEM IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Bull kelp forests experienced unprecedented losses along 220 miles of coastline in Northern California beginning in 2014 after the onset of a large marine heatwave and the local extinction of sunflower sea stars (sea urchins primary predator). These losses have had devastating consequences to the region’s communities, economies, and fisheries. Similar to the nature versus nurture debate in psychology, it can be equally challenging to tease apart environmental and ecological drivers (also known as “top down versus bottom up”) in ecosystem dynamics. Using a suite of diver and satellite-derived data, join Meredith McPherson, Ph.D. Department of Ocean Sciences, UCSC, as she describes historical patterns of kelp canopy coverage in Northern California, decodes how and why this event occurred, and provides perspective on the future of these iconic marine ecosystems. Register in advance for the online Science Sunday webinar (required). seymourcenter.science.ucsc.edu/calendar_event/november-science-sunday/ Please register at least one hour prior to event start time. Sunday, Nov. 21, 1:30-2:30pm. Seymour Marine Discovery Center, 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz.

HISTORIC RANCH GROUND TOUR Discover what life was like a century ago on this innovative dairy ranch. This hour-long tour includes the 1896 water-powered machine shop, barns and other historic buildings. The vehicle day-use fee is $10. For more information, call 831-426-0505. Spaces are limited and early pre-registration is recommended. Attendees are required to self-screen for Covid-19 symptoms when pre-registering. Masks and social distancing are also required at all programs. Saturday, Nov. 20, 1-2pm. Sunday, Nov. 21, 1-2pm. Wilder Ranch State Park, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz.


SUNSET BEACH BOWLS Experience the tranquility, peace and calmness as the ocean waves harmonize with the sound of crystal bowls raising vibration and energy levels. Every Tuesday one hour before sunset at Moran Lake Beach. Call 831-333-6736 for more details. Tuesday, Nov. 23, 6:30-7:30pm. Moran Lake Park & Beach, East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz.

4 Years After Disbanding, Santa Cruz Garage Rockers Redlight District Reunite

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4 Years After Disbanding, Santa Cruz Garage Rockers Redlight District Reunite

Things looked good in 2017 for local garage-psych-rock band the Redlight District. They had relentlessly toured up and down the West Coast, and even headlined the local stage at the Santa Cruz Music Festival. Then, in September, after a string of EPs, they put out their excellent debut full-length Blackmail.

They booked a few shows after its release, but weren’t prepared to call any of them their official Blackmail release show. One was at the Church House. It was packed. During the show, lead singer Stephan Sams climbed the walls, stood on the top of a fridge and dove into the crowd.

“It was a chaotic show. We were known for that generally,” Sams says. “I remember going off on a tangent in the middle of a song. I would be somewhat incoherent in those days. And just people shouting that they agreed and were ‘the son of a black hole and apocalypse’ or something.”

Not long after, the group unceremoniously broke up. But four years later, the Redlight District is preparing to play again. Though the members currently live in Oregon, Hawaii, Santa Cruz and Salinas, they see this show at Moe’s on Nov. 24 as a new beginning for the group. They hope many more Redlight District shows follow.

Things were not easy for Sams when he initially broke up the band. During that time period, he recalls becoming manic and delusional. He would lash out at band members. He attempted suicide, but was fortunately found by a housemate in time.

“I was unpredictable to most around me,” Sams says. “I think to some degree I received positive reinforcement for my negative attributes as people thought I should be privately as I was onstage. I can’t blame that all on everyone else. I had ignored my own agency over my reality. Years of reading philosophy books, dropping acid, they all kind of just gave me more questions.”

For a while, Sams stopped playing music, and then started playing solo shows. He got medication and therapy for anxiety and depression, and made amends with people he’d hurt.

“I began to realize just how much I contributed to my toxic environment,” Sams says.

He got involved in some other projects, like a blues rock duo with Kage O’ Malley called Oedipus & the Motherfuckers, an experimental band called Microclouds, and he even got back into musical theater, landing his dream role of Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Even with different projects going on, Sams felt something was missing without Redlight District. People cared about the group, and the band’s songs had something to say. Over the past four years, he thought a lot about the lyrics on Blackmail. A lot of the songs had started as apocalyptic visions from his dreams, which terrified him. He talked about a rise in riots, protests, manipulations by the media and misinformation.

“I think it was obvious where the country was heading,” Sams says. “I wrote a lot of the songs, strangely, when Barack Obama was president, the end of his first term or the beginning of the second term. I remember thinking, ‘The cultural pendulum is going to swing really hard the other way. People are not going to take this lying down, you know, that we have our first president of color.’ I knew it was coming.”

Last year, he met up with keyboardist Dan Leitner at the Red Room and discussed putting the band back together. Leitner agreed, and the other members were on board, too.

Sams’ attitude about music and Redlight District has changed. He wants the group to contribute something positive to the world, bring joy and have people think constructively about how to fix society—not wallow in doom and gloom. Also, they still haven’t officially held their Blackmail release show, which is long overdue. Sams says it will hopefully come sometime soon.

“I just wanted to contribute to awareness, to contribute to healing, as opposed to contribute to destruction, because I was very mad. I wrote a lot about destruction. But at this point, I want it to be constructive,” Sams says, adding that he is very grateful to be able to be doing Redlight District again.  “I cried when I saw Bohemian Rhapsody at the thought of having another chance. And now it’s here.”

Redlight District will play at 8:30pm on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at Moe’s Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz. $12/adv, $15/door. (831) 479-1854.

Letter to the Editor: Not a Pretty Picture

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Letter to the Editor: Not a Pretty Picture

Re: “Stroll Models” (GT, 11/3): Thanks to Jacob Pierce for his article and background on the Gibbs report. I moved to this area recently after retiring, so I missed the original report, but it all sounds painfully familiar because I grew up and went to school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, whose story is probably well known to Gibbs even though he wasn’t yet born when most of the drama went down. There were a lot of similarities that Santa Cruzans would do well to consider. A quick summary for local readers:

In the late 1950s, Kalamazoo was looking at a decaying downtown as major local businesses fled to the suburbs, so the city hired Victor Gruen Associates to do a study and propose a modernization plan. Some elements included: a mall on one of the town’s main streets, a “belt way” to route auto traffic around the central business district with several parking structures along it to provide free/cheap parking within walking distance of shops (an idea that Santa Cruz has a lot of trouble with), and which would have surrounded a central public park. It all went down in flames in a 1960 election, when voters failed to approve a 30-year municipal bond to finance initial construction. The mall was built, but it lasted barely a decade before most of the businesses it was intended to save left town. They never returned, and the mall was ripped out. One irony is that if bonds had been issued in 1960, they would have been paid off by 1990, and the downtown would be in much better shape than it is today.

As far as I can tell, Santa Cruz’s downtown is dying, like Kalamazoo’s did. It’s dominated by bars, restaurants, head shops, and tawdry young-women’s clothing boutiques, which appeal mainly to tourists and UCSC students. The department stores and other family-supporting businesses that Gibbs discussed went to 41st Avenue and Capitola Mall long ago. Other businesses went to the sadly neglected Eastside, while still others are fleeing to Aptos, turning Soquel Drive into our own little El Camino Real. Unless local residents can come together on a plan to resuscitate the downtown business district that includes dealing sensibly with housing, automobiles and parking, and light-rail transit, some of us have a pretty clear idea of what Santa Cruz is apt to look like in 20 years, and it’s not a pretty picture. Instead of incessantly squabbling with each other, you folks could have helped to fix this.

Scott B. Marovich

Soquel

This letter does not necessarily reflect the views of Good Times.

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Opinion: Another Santa Cruz Gives Surprise

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Opinion: Another Santa Cruz Gives Surprise

EDITOR’S NOTE

This week we’re kicking off our seventh Santa Cruz Gives holiday fundraising drive, and once again I’m stunned at how quickly this idea of a “new way” to support our local nonprofits continues to grow faster than we ever thought possible. Last year, in the midst of the pandemic, total donations to Santa Cruz Gives groups totaled $709,617—an increase of 73% over 2019. Our goal for this year is to cross the million mark.

But that’s not even the biggest news about this year’s campaign. Even more exciting is that we’ve doubled the number of groups accepted into Gives this year. That means there are so many incredible causes to give to—you will find organizations focused on youth, seniors, animals, the environment, education, health and wellness, food and nutrition, housing and homelessness, the arts, veterans, families, the disabled and more.

It also means that our cover story this week—in which we have attempted to give you a sense of the “big idea” project that you can fund for all 80 of these organizations—is one of the longest I can ever remember us running. Santa Cruz Gives co-founder and organizer Jeanne Howard spent weeks working with all of these groups on how to best present their projects to you in this issue, and my only regret is that we only have room to run a small portion of what these incredible people want to tell you about their work. These pages will give you the basics, but I strongly encourage you to go to santacruzgives.org to read more about each participant; when you find your favorites, you can donate to them right there on the site. As always, Santa Cruz Gives runs until midnight on Dec. 31, and each week in GT we’ll be spotlighting how these organizations are supporting and transforming our community.

Finally, on behalf of Good Times, the Pajaronian and Press Banner, I want to thank our Santa Cruz Gives co-sponsors, who have played such a huge role in the success and growth of this program: the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County, our presenting co-sponsor; Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, which provides essential support through three of its funds—the Applewood Fund, the Joe Collins Fund and the Bud & Rebecca Colligan Fund; Driscoll’s; Santa Cruz County Bank; Wynn Capital Management and Oswald. OK, enough talk, let’s start giving!

 

STEVE PALOPOLI | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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GOOD IDEA

HEART FELT

Need an excuse to order takeout this week? Pizza My Heart will be donating 30% of its sales to Community Action Board (CAB), a nonprofit that works to end poverty and provides social services for all of Santa Cruz County, this Thursday. Order a slice or a whole pizza from Pizza My Heart’s downtown Santa Cruz location between 11am and 4pm, and a portion of your money will be reinvested into the community through CAB. Learn more at cabinc.org.

GOOD WORK

BRACE YOURSELF

If you are a homeowner, you might qualify for a grant to make your home safer during earthquakes. California’s Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) grant program is offering homeowners up to $3,000, money that can go to strengthening a home’s foundation, known as seismic retrofitting. EBB is also offering supplemental grants for lower-income homeowners, which could cover the entire cost of the retrofit. Apply and learn more at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.”

-Henry Rosso

Santa Cruz Gives Kicks Off Its Biggest Campaign Ever

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Santa Cruz Gives Kicks Off Its Biggest Campaign Ever

After five years of rapid growth, our Santa Cruz Gives holiday campaign is doubling the number of local nonprofits we accepted to 80. Here’s a guide to the projects they will fund with your donations

Alzheimer’s Association

Big Idea for 2022: “Alzheimer’s Doesn’t Stop—Neither Do We.” More than 5,300 people in Santa Cruz County live with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and another 8,000 loved ones and caregivers are impacted. All deserve reassurance they are not alone on their journey. The Alzheimer’s Association in Santa Cruz connects people with a community of support every step of the way. All services are free and offered in English and Spanish by phone, virtually, and in-person, including care consultations to help families anticipate and plan; support groups to connect with others who understand the journey; education on topics such as how to have dementia conversations, effective communications with those living with dementia, self-care for caregivers; healthy living for brain and body.

Arts Council Santa Cruz County

Big Idea for 2022: “Watsonville Movement for Arts and Culture.” Imagine a bustling, welcoming, and inclusive space for artists, arts organizations and the community in Watsonville. A place where we all belong, are rejuvenated and have fun through the arts. Our collective yearning for a space to create, experience joy and feel connected to ourselves and each other is palpable. Let’s build a home for the arts rooted in Watsonville’s rich cultural traditions, hopes and imagination.

BalanceSCC

Big Idea for 2022: “2022 Teacher Grant Fund.” Our Teacher Grant Fund grants more than $25,000 in supplies annually directly to local teachers and service providers for items they need but cannot afford. Typical items are Chromebooks, iPads, therapeutic chairs and swings, etc. We typically gift to approximately 60 local teachers/specialists who each work with 30-200+ students with unique needs each year. We raise the funds from the community to support this effort. We have also given free training to more than 100 local educators for school staff to help children learn constructive ways to handle crisis.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Cruz County

Big Idea for 2022: “Transgender Matching Program & LGBTQ+ Service Expansion.” Big Brothers Big Sisters began matching transgender youth throughout the county with volunteer transgender adult mentors in 2015. We will increase support to our mentors, matches and other agencies on LGBTQ+ matters through training, roundtables and enhanced match support and activities to address this underserved population. We work in close partnership with other agencies to implement a proven mentoring model, which serves as a national model.

Birchbark Foundation

Big Idea for 2022: “Love Heals.” When a pet has a health crisis with a good prognosis, the unique love of a family animal must never be lost simply due to cost. BirchBark will provide stability to vulnerable families faced with fixable, but unaffordable, urgent veterinary care. Our goal is to provide healing love and save the lives of 100 pets with Santa Cruz Gives donor funds. In addition, we help our veterinary partners, who often must euthanize pets and are extremely affected emotionally when clients do not have financial resources to save their animals’ lives. 

Bird School

Big Idea for 2022: “Spreading our Wings.” Research clearly indicates that time spent connecting with nature significantly improves people’s mental and emotional well-being, which is seriously at risk for many young people today. The Bird School Project looks forward to expanding access to transformative pathways in birding, community leadership, field experiences and overall personal health and well-being for the students of Santa Cruz County. With your support, BSP strives to reach more students from minority and underrepresented backgrounds, providing resources and mentorship for them to become environmental changemakers. Our highly successful core program costs only $6 per student. Funds raised supplement the cost of our program for schools in Santa Cruz County, often making it free. 

Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County

Big Idea for 2022: “Power Hour + SMART Moves Programs.” Our clubhouse-wide “Power Hour” program complements and reinforces what youth learn at school via daily 60-minute sessions in which every member at the club receives homework help, tutoring or participates in self-directed learning. The SMART Moves program supports social-emotional learning and helps youth strengthen healthy decision-making, boost self-esteem, avoid risky behaviors, develop assertiveness, analyze media and peer influence and build resilience. 

CASA of Santa Cruz County

The Big Idea for 2022: “Advocating for Foster Youth in Santa Cruz County.” CASA recruits, screens, trains and supervises Volunteer Advocates to work one-on-one with children and their families to support reunification or permanent placement into a safe and healthy home. Advocates get to know their child’s situation and needs, help caregivers access resources to meet those needs, and advocate for the child’s best interests in court, community, and school settings. They build strong relationships with the family and work with a CASA Advocate Supervisor to create an Advocacy Plan for their child. 

Camphill Communities

Big Idea for 2022: “Solar for a Sustainable Future.” Over the past two years, we raised funds to install solar panels and batteries on all current homes and properties. In order for Camphill to provide affordable housing for aging residents, staff and volunteers, we need to build an additional home for those who wish to age in Camphill and stay in our community. We have the funds for the building, but now all new construction in Santa Cruz County requires solar panels. Having the funds to install this will allow us to provide adequate housing, and ensure the future of our organization and the people we serve.

Catholic Charities

Big Idea for 2022: “Together we thrive! Juntos salimos adelante!” Your generosity will provide direct rental and utility assistance to Santa Cruz County residents still struggling with the economic effects of the pandemic. Seniors and adults ineligible for federal aid continue to walk through our doors seeking help and hope to stabilize their homes. Your support can provide up to $1,200 in rental and utility assistance to each individual struggling with past due rent or bills. Catholic Charities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency serving people of all backgrounds and beliefs. Typically our Emergency Rental and Utility Assistance program runs November–February but has been adapted to a year-round program to support people financially impacted by the pandemic.

California Certified Organic Farmers Foundation

Big Idea for 2022: “Hardship Assistance for Organic Farmers & Processors.” The Bricmont Hardship Assistance Fund is the only fund in the U.S. that provides direct financial assistance exclusively to organic producers who suffer financial losses due to extreme hardship. This fund is 100% pass-through, so every dollar we raise goes directly to an organic farmer or producer that is experiencing extreme hardship. In 2020, applications to this fund quadrupled (as did our award amounts) as the organic farming community experienced market, workforce and supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic and wildfires in the West. We are again bracing to support the increased need as the pandemic continues, accompanied by drought and fires. 

Coastal Watershed Council

Big Idea for 2022: “Healthy River, Healthy Santa Cruz!” We envision the Santa Cruz Riverwalk becoming Santa Cruz’s Central Park. CWC organizes volunteers to pick up trash, pull invasive weeds, and plant native plants to improve the beauty of the Riverwalk and invest in a healthier river ecosystem. Over the past few years, the San Lorenzo River has taken a turn for the worse due to drought, misuse and neglect. This river is our city’s main source of drinking water, it is home to threatened and endangered species and was the cornerstone to our city’s founding. This river needs us and we need it. Every donation is a gift to protect the river that we rely on and impact every day.

Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County

Big Idea for 2022: “A Helping Hand to Underserved Communities.” Amid the overall wealth of Santa Cruz County, certain communities have historically been left out. We created a “basket” of items this year for Santa Cruz Gives donors to show you what we can do together to counteract the historic omission in a small way at a local level. CAB will fund DACA renewal scholarships for two immigrant youth; purchase ingredients for six community meals for 12 local seniors at the Davenport Resource Service Center; provide vaccination gift card incentives to 50 farmworkers; and give direct financial assistance to four families experiencing homelessness, plus 20 families of Day Worker Center members who lost work due to Covid.

Community Bike Collective

Big Idea for 2022: “Community Bike Camp.” Community Bike Collective is rooted in our community, equity and justice. Our Summer Bike Camp is free to local youth, with a focus on under-resourced and underserved youth in Santa Cruz County. If kids don’t know how to ride, we teach them. We implement life-changing programs for local youth. Many of our youth have never seen a redwood tree or been to the beach! Your support will fund impactful programs that engage youth through learning in action with hands-on activities including bike skills, life skills, self-care, community-care, healthy living and local history. 

Community Connection at the Volunteer Center

Big Idea for 2022: “Meaningful Connections & Food for our Vulnerable Neighbors.” Our community members living with serious mental illnesses are some of the most vulnerable and isolated in the community. During the pandemic, while many of us struggled with isolation and the inability to connect with people and activities that bring meaning and health to our lives, they suffered greatly. We have provided healthy food deliveries and regular contacts through phone and internet outreach to the mental health community we serve. We now need to raise funds to continue our food distributions and services connecting participants to activities such as education, work and volunteerism that improve lives and make our community stronger. 

Community Life Services

Big Idea for 2022: “Build Back Santa Cruz County.” Businesses cannot find the talent, labor and employee commitment to fully recover from the pandemic. We have a solution. Even before Covid, we supported adults with disabilities to prepare and join the workforce—and we haven’t stopped. Currently, we have 25 individuals looking for meaningful work. We seek your donations to fund a temporary, dedicated, part-time Employment Specialist to focus on outreach, engagement, networking and training with local businesses to provide employee matches of all abilities and prepare and diversify their workforce as we build back our local economy and include everyone. 

County Park Friends

Big Idea for 2022: “Scholarships for Kids.” Every kid should have a chance to experience the wonder, health, wellness and joy available in our Santa Cruz County parks, beaches and trails. Our scholarships and equity programs knock down barriers that include fees, language, accessibility and transportation. We make sure our programs (such as Learn-to-Swim lessons and Junior Pool Guards) and public spaces are truly welcoming to all families in our community. We would like to continue this important work, which has become more critical for families during the pandemic.

Dientes Community Dental Care

Big Idea for 2022: “Give Kids a Smile Day.” Toothaches are one of the most common reasons low-income kids miss school. Dientes’ Give Kids a Smile Day provides life-changing, free dental care to uninsured children in Santa Cruz County, and is a part of our Dientes Cares for Kids program. Our goal is to make prevention more common than treatment so that kids can focus on school instead of a toothache.

Eat for the Earth

Big Idea for 2022: “Community Rx.” Community Rx supports community members who want to make a dietary change that prevents and often reverses deadly chronic diseases, reduces severity of COVID symptoms, contributes positively to the environment, is kind to non-human animals and tastes great! Eat for the Earth provides education and advocacy promoting the benefits of plant-based and plant-strong diets. Our accomplishments include working with nine restaurants to increase plant-based offerings; providing education at 10 community festivals in our county, and serving 450 free, whole-food, plant-based meals and 8,787 food samples; holding seven free dinner party presentations; and providing educational speakers for local events.

Ecology Action

Big Idea for 2022: “Youth Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education for All.” At Ecology Action, we are doing our best to create and deliver cutting-edge school-based programs that teach vital bike and pedestrian safety skills to elementary students: Walk Smart and Bike Smart. In one generation, student walking/biking to school has dropped from 50% to 15%. Our surveys show the major reason is concern about student safety. By providing the right training and boosting student skills and confidence, we believe we can move the needle on safe biking and walking to schools—a benefit for the entire community. Please help us bring this valuable, popular program to all Santa Cruz County second and fifth graders.

Families in Transition

Big Idea for 2022: “Set Up for Success.” Toward our goal to end and prevent homelessness in the County, our project will help families in our program with essential expenses that restrictive government funding leaves out. Necessary expenses include bedding, pajamas, cleaning supplies and nutritious food to fill the fridge. With Set Up for Success, donors choose the amount they’d like to donate and will know how our organization benefits a family in need. $50 provides groceries for a family of four; $100 provides groceries and cleaning supplies for a family of four; $250 provides groceries, cleaning supplies and clothing for a family of four; $500 provides the essentials that help make a house a home.

Farm Discovery at Live Earth

Big Idea for 2022: “Community Produce Distribution + Nutrition Education.” This program increases access to fresh fruits and vegetables, nutrition and environmental education, and relieves food and nutrition insecurity, resulting in improved community health and environmental stewardship. We donated 96,000 lbs. (48 tons) of produce in 18 months during the pandemic. An average of 25 lbs. of produce feeds a family of four for one week—therefore, we feed about 50 families per week. With your support, we’ll continue this, keeping our cost to only $1.30/lb. of produce, which covers the produce and all labor to keep the project going. We provide produce, through partners, to farmworkers, families, kids, homeless and veterans. 

“Food, What?!”

Big Idea for 2022: “Support FoodWhat’s New Culinary Manager Role.” Starting in 2022, we will introduce our newest position, the FoodWhat Culinary Manager! Our Culinary Manager will create culturally-relevant recipes, teach youth employable culinary skills, coordinate distribution of home meal kits, hold online culinary sessions for youth, and support youth as they run their farm-based businesses. Through FoodWhat, Latinx youth address health disparities related to lack of access to healthy food and the need for supportive community. 

Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries

Big Idea for 2022: “Realizing the Promise.” We are raising funds to bridge the gap between Measure S (passed in 2016 for basic infrastructure upgrades) and the needs at the 10 branches in the Santa Cruz Public Libraries. We already completed three beautiful branches in 2019-2021. We are supporting renovations at Branciforte and Garfield Park in 2022, and an expanded facility in Aptos will be complete in early 2023. $1 million will help to create new library spaces for children, teens, community programs, adult services, exhibits, collaborative study areas and learning activities, together with new collections, technology, equipment and furnishings required to attain the community’s vision. 

Girls Inc.

Big Idea for 2022: “Friendly PEERsuasion Program.” The Friendly PEERsuasion program is a unique response to the needs of girls because it approaches drug-abuse prevention as a peer issue, using the positive influence of young people modeling healthy behavior. Phase I is a series of workshops that train seventh grade girls (ages 11-14) as facilitators with skills such as decision-making, assertiveness, and communication. They also practice walking away from situations where they feel pressured to use alcohol or drugs. In Phase II, the newly trained “PEERsuaders” work with fourth and fifth grade girls (ages 6-10) as role models and leaders, guiding activities that help avoid girls’ use of harmful substances, especially by giving them skills to refuse and walk away.

Grey Bears

Big Idea for 2022: “The Joy is in the Journey.” Grey Bears works to solve the problem of senior hunger and isolation, and to engage everyone to reuse and recycle. Our weekly food deliveries, daily distributions and hot meals nourish 4,700 seniors, families and farmworkers. We do it all with the help of 550 amazing volunteers who will contribute 60,000 hours of service this year. Our aging community is a hardworking asset—a natural resource with a diversity of skills, talents and boundless ways to contribute. We believe in moving forward together toward a common vision, and that the joy is always in the journey. 

Groundswell Coastal Ecology

Big Idea for 2022: “Saving Santa Cruz Monarchs.” Since 2015, Groundswell has worked with monarch conservation partners to develop and implement management plans that enhance monarch overwintering sites at Lighthouse Field and Natural Bridges State Parks. Groundswell improves overwintering grove ecosystems by planting windbreak trees and nectar resources, controlling predators and managing fuels (to prevent fire). We involve community volunteers and K-12 students in this work.

We need your help to save wild monarchs during the 2022 monarch season.

Habitat for Humanity

Big Idea for 2022: “For Renters Who Lost a Home in the CZU Fire: A New Home.” With a safe, simple and well-built home with room for family members, outdoor space and a neighborhood of peers, families who were on the brink of homelessness and poverty are able to work their way up, have pride of ownership and a network of community members to lean on. Habitat has given priority to families displaced by the CZU fires for two homes available in the Rodeo Creek Court development in Live Oak. Please help us support a couple we have selected—both are educators with strong ties to the community, who have continued to work hard as they pick up the pieces from their devastating loss. 

Health Projects Center

Big Idea for 2022: “Aging at Home with Dignity.” To help people to age safely at home with dignity, we will manage health care and supportive services for medically frail, low‐income elders; support family caregivers to provide quality care to their loved ones, and to take care of their own physical and mental health; transition low-income people from institutional living to home; and strengthen the health care workforce to effectively address geriatrics and in-home care management. We are also working to educate older adults about Covid-19, and facilitate access to vaccination. We collaborate with the County of Santa Cruz to provide in-home vaccination to frail, older residents.

Homeless Garden Project

Big Idea for 2022: “Essential Workforce Development.” HGP needs the community’s support to continue to provide our core program of training and employment to people experiencing homelessness and provide essential food for the community. This year we donated tens of thousands of pounds of fresh, organic produce—this is the byproduct of our mission and allows us to help even more of our neighbors in need! We also operate the first-ever CSA program in Santa Cruz County; an educational volunteering program that helps to build bridges between the housed and unhoused; and a newly expanded online retail shop. 

Hopes Closet

Big Idea for 2022: “Feed The Sole!” Many children are not able to participate fully in physical education at school or have optimal orthopedic health because they cannot afford shoes with proper support. We have an ambitious goal in the upcoming year: to provide each child who receives our services with new athletic sneakers! Please help us to help local children stand taller and feel empowered with a new pair of shoes.

Housing Matters

Big Idea for 2022: “The Home Sweet Home Project.” Your donation to Santa Cruz Gives will fund “Home Sweet Home” baskets for families and individuals who are receiving services (like housing navigation and case management) through a Housing Matters program, and who are moving from homelessness into permanent housing. These baskets will be filled with home essentials such as cleaning supplies, linens, grocery gift cards and a special housewarming gift. 

Jacob’s Heart

Big Idea for 2022: “Support for Fragile Families.” Caring for a medically fragile child is always rife with fear and uncertainty. With support from Santa Cruz Gives, Jacob’s Heart will increase crisis counseling by hiring a team of bicultural psychotherapists and specialists with expertise in healing complex grief and trauma to provide care to families during treatment, families experiencing anticipatory grief and those who are bereaved.

Live Like Coco

Big Idea for 2022: “Children’s Memorial Reading Garden.” Families who have lost a child often fear their child will be forgotten—or remembered only as a tragedy. The Live Like Coco Foundation wants to honor these children’s stories by sponsoring a special project at the Aptos branch of the Santa Cruz Public Library, one of several branches currently being rebuilt. Live Like Coco has agreed to sponsor the Children’s Reading Garden as a special memorial to Coco as well as other children our community lost too soon. 

Live Oak Education Foundation

Big Idea for 2022: “Visual Arts for TK-3rd Grade Students.” TK-3rd grade students did not receive specific arts instruction prior to the Live Oak Education Foundation’s first investment in 2019. Through equitable, hands-on artistic opportunities, our students explore self-expression and creativity, become inspired and increase their educational and social mobility. Funds raised through Santa Cruz Gives will provide 10 weeks of hands-on visual arts instruction from SPECTRA teaching artists for elementary students. We are grateful to offer this through a partnership with the Arts Council Santa Cruz County.

Meals on Wheels

Big Idea for 2022: “Meals on Wheels Breakfast Project.” The Meals on Wheels program proposes an essential breakfast meals project for older adults and seniors who otherwise would not have access to critical balanced nutrition due to lack of resources. With your donations, we would provide ready-made, high-nutrient-dense meals for community members in need. Our free breakfasts are particularly crucial for older adults during this continuing public health crisis and uncertain economy, and vital to support not only the health of participants, but also to reduce the stress of the cost of transportation.

Media Watch & Amah Mutsun Land Trust

Big Idea for 2022: “Amah Mutsun Educational Mural (potential site Laurel & Mission Street). Through a public mural, Media Watch will collaborate with local BIPOC muralists, Amah Mutsun Land Trust stewards and volunteers to create a visual celebration of the diverse past, present and future contributions of Santa Cruz County’s Indigenous people. Embedded QR codes will allow viewers an immersive experience of our local Indigenous people. This project hopes to partner with Santa Cruz County’s Office of Education with activities for both K-12 and university students. 

Mental Health Client Action Network (MHCAN)

Big Idea for 2022: “MHCAN Homeless Shower Program.” Many MHCAN members are unhoused and use our facilities to shower and maintain personal hygiene. Maintaining personal hygiene can help members reintegrate to society, engage in the job market and maintain personal dignity. We will provide showers four days a week for up to 50 people a day at our drop-in center. The shower list is always full for our two showers (one is handicapped accessible). We do not have funding for toiletries, towels, toothbrushes or other hygiene supplies. Please help us to meet this important need.

MENtors: Driving Change for Boys, Men & Dads

Big Idea for 2022: “Equity for Our Boys.” Many boys and young men from Black, Latinx and less-advantaged backgrounds were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, distance learning and social isolation compared to their more advantaged peers. We plan to create a weekly, facilitated, safe and welcoming space for boys and young men in middle and high schools to explore, build and enhance the pillars of resilience to get youth out of the survival mode and be able to thrive during this challenging time.

Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP)

Big Idea for 2022: “Student Ambassador Program.” MBEP’s Student Ambassador Program provides meaningful internship opportunities for students in the region to cultivate a strong local workforce and advance important initiatives. Our initiatives cover the region’s most pressing issues: housing, climate change, transportation, workforce development and broadband. The idea is to match qualified students enrolled at local colleges with these initiatives. At the end of their internship, students are awarded a stipend.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Big Idea for 2022: “Commitment to Multicultural K-12 Education.” The Foundation seeks to provide free, immersive learning experiences in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. In-school and after-school programs are often the only way for students from marginalized communities to access environmental education, as their families may not be able to afford visits or programs at aquariums, natural history museums, etc. By offering in-person and remote learning at no cost, we eliminate this barrier for up to 1,500 students each year to experience the sanctuary in a new, exciting and educational way.  

Museo Eduardo Carrillo

Big Idea for 2022: “Local Legendary Chicano/a Artists Inspire Teen Writing.” The Califas Legacy Project is focused on five influential Monterey Bay region Chicano/a artists: Eduardo Carrillo, Amalia Mesa-Bains, Ralph D’Oliveira, Yermo Aranda and Carmen Leon. A full-color book featuring the artists’ work and local teen narrative writing was produced in a very limited edition. With your support, we would reprint the book to give 3-4 free copies plus our award-winning curriculum guide to all 70 middle and high schools (for libraries and instructors) in Santa Cruz County, where 22,500 students are enrolled.

National Alliance on Mental Illness of Santa Cruz County (NAMI)

Big Idea for 2022: “Bilingual Mental Health Support.” There is great need for culturally responsive mental health services in Spanish in Santa Cruz County. NAMI SCC is expanding programming so all families can achieve hope, healing, education, and support for those with mental health conditions and those who love them through our Helpline, classes and weekly support groups. We seek funds to broaden our peer-led classes and support groups in Spanish. 

Nourishing Generations

Big Idea for 2022: “Peer-to-Peer Nutrition and Culinary Education.” Our big idea is to share our expertise with Live Oak and Watsonville residents by training neighbors to teach neighbors to spread the word about healthy eating and healthy cooking. We’ll start by training ten instructors, provide food and materials and will pay trainees for all of their time. These new trainees will allow us to expand to educating an estimated 400 in the first year.

Pajaro Valley Loaves & Fishes

Big Idea for 2022: “Alleviate Food Insecurity among Farmworker Families and Their Children.” For the past 30 years, we’ve been a frontline, boot-strapping food pantry and lunch program touching thousands of lives each year with a limited budget and efficient operations carried out by hundreds of volunteers and a small-but-nimble staff. We receive, store and distribute more than 500,000 pounds of food each year, and serve over 26,000 hot, nutritious meals. Many of our farmworker clients work long hours harvesting food for us all, and find it challenging to make our 3pm closing time during the harvest season. To assist working families (living below the poverty line), we need support to extend pantry hours to 6pm. Please join us in making healthy food accessible to our neighbors in need.

Pajaro Valley Shelter Services

Big Idea for 2022: “Hope and Home: Moving Families Out of Homelessness and Into Permanent Housing and Self-Sufficiency.” Families in PVSS programs literally work their way out of homelessness and financial vulnerability. Our three-pillar program model transforms the lives of families in the areas of Emotional Stability, Financial Stability, and Housing Stability. We are launching a new tenant education program: Hope and Home. We’ll provide information, training, and support that increase the ability of families to find and keep appropriate housing. Families learn to avoid common housing pitfalls such as poor landlord/neighbor relationships; lack of emergency funds; irresponsible use of credit; and lack of knowledge of housing laws.

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte

Big Idea for 2022: “Celebrating 50 Years of Providing Quality Health Care to Santa Cruz County.” This year, we celebrate 50 years of providing quality health care and advocacy in Santa Cruz County. What began as a referral and advocacy organization in Cynthia Mathews’ kitchen now provides non-judgmental health care at our Westside and Watsonville centers, including reproductive care, primary care, behavioral health care, and Covid-19 testing to more than 12,000 patients annually. Please help us continue to provide access to health care to all who need it.

Project SCOUT

Big Idea for 2022: “Let’s Get Santa Cruz County Residents the Money They Deserve.” Now that we have put more than $2 million of refunds in the wallets of those most in need in the county, we want to reach out to those who could benefit most from filing a tax return and often do not. It could be seniors who may qualify for the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), or high schoolers working to help parents make ends meet who are not aware that by filing taxes they can get money back. Your support would provide outreach for those who may not be aware they should file taxes, and more volunteer tax-preparation sites and online, virtual options to increase the numbers we can help.

Recovery Café

Big Idea for 2022: “RCSC – Safe Steps.” RCSC will expand to provide a safe, welcoming community two days a week for people to find support in their healing and growth—with free coffee, snacks and lunch. Members will have their struggles heard and they will receive encouragement from their peers. Each member has individual discussions regarding their goals, and referrals to assist them in reaching them, when appropriate. Members share their knowledge, are peer supports and volunteer within the program as they are able. 

Regeneración — Pajaro Valley Climate Action

Big Idea for 2022: “Pathways to Leadership for Young Climate Justice Champions.” In 2022, we will meet with young activists at school sites, listen to their ideas and offer tools for preventing burnout, leading effective meetings and eliminating oppressions that are in the way of building a unified movement to protect life. We plan to host twelve student interns over the next year and make a minimum of eight presentations on climate justice. We will also create opportunities for youth leadership in classes or clubs at high schools or colleges/universities.

Resource Center for Nonviolence

Big Idea for 2022: “Antiracism Book Circles.” The Resource Center for Nonviolence addresses the historical dominance of white culture in Santa Cruz County by offering Antiracism Book Circles, accessible to every community member. Donations support the creation of these circles and also support creating antiracism book circles within other organizations that would like to offer a book circle to its members. Some circles are multiracial, and some are organized for racial or gender “affinity groups” to enable Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other BIPOC community members to explore antiracism subjects with community peers. 

Safe Ag Safe Schools

Big Idea for 2022: “Say Before You Spray.” Most people don’t know that in California, you have no right to know in advance about applications of hazardous agricultural pesticides, and the ag industry is determined to keep it that way! We are calling on Santa Cruz County to publicly post all “Notices of Intent” to use Restricted Material pesticides before they are applied so that residents can protect themselves from harm and so doctors can understand what their patients may have been exposed to. Please help us increase transparency.

San Lorenzo Valley Museum

Big Idea for 2022: “Enhanced Outdoor Space.” We find that sharing the region’s cultural history increases a sense of belonging, which leads to stronger civic engagement. For 2022, we want to install a permanent outdoor structure—a gazebo that will provide shade, shelter and lighting. This space will be used by the K2/3 school program, serving around 350 students annually, as well as visitors to the gallery and grounds.

Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre

Big Idea for 2022: “Outdoor Stage.” Imagine being able to view ballet performances outdoors at various locations around the community! SCBT would like to construct an outdoor, portable stage that can be used for the safety of the audience and dancers alike. We would also make it available for use by other organizations—therefore, your contribution would support many local events. The stage will be developed for longevity and flexibility so it will serve for 20 years or more. 

Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos

Big Idea for 2022: “Santa Cruz Cares for Kids.” This would be a project that takes place at The Spot, a warehouse center in Barrios Unidos. Your funding would cover an after-school kids program for ages 5-17 years old, from 2pm-7pm daily Monday-Friday. We need two part-time employees, padded flooring, desks and computers to give kids a supportive place to go after school. We hope to begin this project in January 2022.

Santa Cruz Community Ventures

Big Idea for 2022: “Semillitas ‘Small Seeds’ Milestones Program.” Semillitas (“small seeds” in Spanish) provides all county newborns their own college savings accounts, and has seeded 2,000+ accounts with an investment of up to $50. Children with college saving accounts are three times more likely to go to college and four times more likely to graduate. Our Semillitas Milestones Program provides working-class families additional contributions to a child’s account if parents keep up with health, dental and educational workshops. The goal is to help secure up to $500 for their child’s savings by kindergarten.

Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter Foundation

Big Idea for 2022: “Creating a More Humane Community.” Shelters such as the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter have become comprehensive centers that set important “best practices” standards in animal welfare, helping to create a more humane community. Our current campus expansion continues this mission by increasing our free and low cost spay/neuter services and focusing on other preventative programs that keep animals out of the shelter.

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH)

Big Idea for 2022: “Without Walls: MAH Outdoors.” The MAH seeks support for an initiative featuring multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaborations in outdoor public spaces across Santa Cruz County. Curated around themes of history, heritage and place, this rotating series of open-air activations is important because it helps us reconnect following the pandemic through artworks that are catalysts for dialogue, learning and social action.  

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History

Big Idea for 2022: “The Museum at Your Side.” Early in 2020, we launched a new collection of resources, “The Museum at Your Side,” providing educators, families, and our community with programs and tools for understanding science and exploring nature wherever they are. The success of this pandemic-inspired project has us ready to launch the next phase of bringing the museum to the community, online and in person. Expanding the Museum at Your Side means increasing access to museum programs, collections, exhibits and offering additional in-person events throughout Santa Cruz County.

Santa Cruz Shakespeare

Big Idea for 2022: “Transportation Fund for Students.” Our goal is to ensure that every single high school student in Santa Cruz County has seen a live, professional production of a Shakespeare play by the time they graduate. Often, schools run into transportation difficulties when planning a field trip to enjoy a play at The Grove, and parents may not have a vehicle or the ability to miss work. We hope to alleviate the expense by providing funds for buses. Santa Cruz Shakespeare extends its summer season into September each year to offer student-only matinees for high schools. Please help us support schools in need and expand current opportunities to more students.

Santa Cruz SPCA

Big Idea for 2022: “A Building for a Better Future.” Through the support of you, our community, our shelter can help over 450 homeless animals to be adopted; more than 2,300 low-income families or individuals receive nearly 25,000 pounds of dog and cat food; teach over 4,000 local school children (elementary to high school) age-safe and humane animal care practices; host almost 10,000 hours of soul-nourishing, animal-care volunteer hours and engage more than 4,500 members of our community.

Save Our Shores

Big Idea for 2022: “Increase Outdoor Marine Environmental Options for K-12 Students.” Students not only connect with nature, but they build skills together as they lead in schoolyard cleanups, create art from litter, and nature journal on field trips to the coast, a slough or watershed. Save Our Shores incorporates outdoor-friendly learning activities and tools while maintaining alignment with Next Generation Science Standards.

Second Harvest Food Bank

Big Idea for 2022: “Got Food?” You can help us provide food for 85,000 people a month in Santa Cruz County who depend on Second Harvest and our network of nonprofit agencies and safety net services such as food pantries, shelters and group homes to fill pantry shelves and provide hot meals. Volunteers help power Second Harvest Food Bank, allowing us to distribute a staggering 10 million pounds of food each year.    

Senderos

Big Idea for 2022: “Lifeline for Latinx Youth & Families: Wellness + Resilience.” In addition to free folkloric dance and music classes for Latinx youth, our community center—Plaza Comunitaria—provides bilingual, culturally-relevant programming on topics such as healthcare, education, mental health, housing and nutrition. Because the pandemic continues to impact families already disadvantaged by inequities of income, access and race, we want to expand this project that is a lifeline to participants. 

Senior Network Service (SNS)

Big Idea for 2022: “The Anti-Covid Loneliness Project.” Senior Network Service will, if funded, launch a program designed specifically to ensure that the residents we serve are regularly contacted and engaged in conversation. Knowing that someone cares, engaging in intellectual stimulation and having something to look forward to—these can make a huge difference to a senior or person with disabilities, and have an extremely positive effect on their well-being.

Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Big Idea for 2022: “Adopt an Eel, Octopus, Swell Shark or Jelly.” The creatures at Seymour Center have had a tough couple of years, just like many of us. Last year nearby fires forced us to evacuate them to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They’ve returned safe and healthy, but now they need your help to get ongoing care. Will you adopt an eel today? Or an octopus, a swell shark, or a jelly? We admit we won’t send you home with one, but we hope you’ll come to visit them. Your gift will help feed dozens of live creatures and keep their tanks clean. You will also fund the touch tank, where you can touch a sea star, hermit crabs and more.

Shared Adventures

Big Idea for 2022: “South County Inclusion.” Shared Adventures has a large participant base in our county, but only receives a modest response from the Latinx disabled community. We plan to make an extraordinary effort to reach out to the Latinx community, to encourage participation in our activities, from sailing and horse-riding to game days and field trips. We’ll hold more activities in South County; focus outreach toward multicultural agencies, schools and families; increase multicultural staff and volunteers; and use Spanish language media resources. 

Soroptimist International of Capitola-by-the-Sea

Big Idea for 2022: “Live Your Dream.” Each year, our club receives 12-13 applications for our Live Your Dream awards for eligible women—they must be enrolled in or have been accepted to a BA or technical training program, are the heads of their households, have a demonstrated need and live anywhere in Santa Cruz County. Winners have at least one child. More than half of our recipients are survivors of domestic violence, trafficking or sexual assault. Applicants hope to receive one of our $2,000 cash awards that they may use to pay for rent, car repairs, medical bills or clothes for their children. We typically only are able to fund three awards. Our club’s dream—and our big idea—is to raise enough to fund cash awards and holiday gift cards for every eligible applicant.

Special Information Parents Network

Big Idea for 2022: “Mental Health Support for SPIN Families.” We currently provide parent-to-parent support through our mentor parent program and parent-led support groups, and informational workshops and trainings for families who have children with special needs. With your support we would like to offer SPIN parents free sessions with a licensed therapist—both group and individual sessions—with English and Spanish speaking therapists. 

Sustainable Systems Research Foundation

Big Idea for 2022: “The Sustainable Urban Food Initiative (SUFI).” We support small farms with new technologies, promote agriculture that protects and restores natural resources and champion new Latinx farmers. Project impacts are farms that are more productive per acre, more environmentally sensitive, produce healthier food and promote local food justice. We have received a US Department of Agriculture grant supporting this project, but that covers only a portion of the cost. Funds go directly to training costs, including direct support for farmers.

Teen Kitchen Project

Big Idea for 2022: “Meal Delivery for the Critically Ill in Santa Cruz County.” TKP’s clients can heal when they receive healthy foods as part of their recovery from a critical illness. This is why every week we prepare and deliver more than 1,700 medically-tailored meals countywide. There has been a surge in requests for our services during the pandemic: we doubled the number of households we serve and the number of meals delivered increased 150%. We need your support to add refrigeration to one of our vans to allow safe transport of meals countywide.

UnChained

Big Idea for 2022: “Canines Teaching Compassion.” UnChained works with two vulnerable populations in Santa Cruz County: homeless dogs and underserved youth. UnChained offers innovative animal-assisted therapy in an 8-week program for youth and dogs twice a week, teaching teens to train dogs in basic skills, positive socialization and good manners. Our youth help place the dogs into adoptive homes after having achieved values of patience, respect and responsibility for themselves and others. Please help UnChained hire a licensed mental health professional to co-lead our programs alongside the dog trainer, and advance the social and emotional learning of our youth.

Valley Churches United

Big Idea for 2022: “Food Pantry.” Folks that never needed our support before but found their lives in hardship for the last year and a half due to the pandemic crisis followed by the CZU fire disaster continue to rely on our year-round food pantry. We ask for funds to stock our food supplies year-round with our focus on nutritious foods and sources of protein. We do receive food donations from Second Harvest Food Bank, but to meet the need we must purchase food throughout the year. We hope to raise enough to provide at least 12,500 pounds of food for grateful clients.

Veterans Memorial Building (VMB)

Big Idea for 2022: “Veterans Village—Veteran-Owned and Operated.” We have raised 75% of the funds needed to develop a Veterans Village that would provide housing for up to 40 veterans in need of permanent, supportive, affordable housing in Santa Cruz County. We have the support of community leaders to acquire a property with housing that will ultimately generate the revenue to support itself through HUD-Vash funding (for veterans housing). Once set up, the model is designed to generate funds for operations and future expansion. It also enables us to build real estate equity for the nonprofit. We need your initial help to provide a community center, onsite support service staff and operation. 

Vets 4 Vets Santa Cruz

Big Idea for 2022: “Computer Lab Updates for Veterans.” We are asking for support for our big idea, which is to purchase new computers to update our veterans’ computer lab located in the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building. This computer lab allows all veterans access to the internet, enabling them to perform essential tasks such as accessing email, searching for housing and employment and learning to use basic software programs, including Microsoft Office.

Warming Center/Footbridge Services Center

Big Idea for 2022: “Warm Nights For Everyone.” It’s our commitment that everyone sleeping outside in a doorway, tent or car should have what they need to be warm at night. This will be our eighth year providing a pop-up shelter, yet many will choose to stay in their tents even on the coldest nights. Hypothermia is a constant threat for those isolating in this way. In addition to providing a coldest nights’ shelter, we also stock and distribute as many as 1,000 blankets, thousands of hand warmers, gloves, beanies and warm clothing. We’ll also distribute more than 100 tents and several hundred rain tarps.

Watsonville Wetlands Watch

Big Idea for 2022: “Reconnecting Pajaro Valley Youth to Nature.” Emerging from 15 months of virtual instruction, students need enriching outdoor learning experiences. Watsonville Wetlands Watch will host thousands of 3-12th grade students for environmental education and hands-on outdoor environmental restoration field trips in Watsonville wetlands, parks and trail systems in support of the Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s Restorative Start initiative now through spring of 2022. Students will learn how to take meaningful action related to climate change resilience and urban forests. Teens will restore wetland habitat for local, migratory, rare, threatened and endangered wildlife. They will also plant trees throughout parks, streets and neighborhoods.

Wings Homeless Advocacy

Big Idea for 2022: “Rehousing Wave: Welcome Home.” The County of Santa Cruz provided safe shelter and critical services to more than 800 residents who lacked housing during the pandemic. With state funding for these shelters ending, many of those 800 people need permanent housing or they will fall into homelessness again. Join Wings and the rest of the Homeless Action Partnership to help us prevent homelessness for everyone exiting these quarantine shelters. The effort is called the Rehousing Wave, and Wings is proud to be an integral part by providing basic needs to people transitioning into permanent housing. When you donate to our project, you help to provide beds, hygiene and cleaning supplies and vital documents services to families and individuals. With no building expenses, only 1.5 full-time-equivalent staff and 50 volunteers, we demonstrate the power of community in action.

Yoga For All Movement

Big Idea for 2022: “Reunite with Wellness.” We are doing things differently by not only teaching yoga to incarcerated students, but by empowering them to become yoga teachers themselves. This program builds on the practice of yoga and meditation and offers training in group facilitation and holistic wellness, with a focus on breathwork, nutrition and somatic movement. Incarcerated students will learn invaluable tools for self-care, and skills to become facilitators of this work. This is a mentorship program that will provide transitional support by placing certified facilitators in teaching jobs where the unique lived experience of those transitioning from incarceration is valued.

Your Future is Our Business

Big Idea for 2022: “LINKS SantaCruz.org.” YFIOB will support students by connecting them to community members working in all 15 industry sectors recognized in California. Introducing students to a variety of careers early on allows them robust, hands-on experiences. We do this by offering in-person services such as career fairs, panels, job shadowing, internships and mentorships. One of the gaps for our schools is to be able to access these LINKS at a moment’s notice. Your support will help us to create LINKS SantaCruz.org where vital information will be available any time. This online platform would connect schools and businesses, and give teachers access to career-based curriculum, business LINKS and community opportunities for students. It would also house virtual tours of companies and other tools for use in curriculum.

The Santa Cruz Gives campaign continues through Dec. 31. To read more about these groups, and to donate, go to santacruzgives.org.

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Things To Do in Santa Cruz: Nov. 17-23

Fortunate Youth at The Catalyst, Late Night at the MAH, Morton Marcus Poetry Reading with Gary Young and more
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4 Years After Disbanding, Santa Cruz Garage Rockers Redlight District Reunite

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Letter to the Editor: Not a Pretty Picture

A letter to the editor of Good Times
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Opinion: Another Santa Cruz Gives Surprise

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After upsurge in donations in 2020, the number of participating groups doubles to 80
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