UPDATE on 3/28: We have raised the equivalent of 5 weeks of a motel stay! Taco truck night on Monday went great :) Governor Gavin Newsom officially submitted a request for federal disaster assistance, so fingers crossed that FEMA support is on its way. Unfortunately, there is a large proportion of undocumented folks in Pajaro who would not be eligible for FEMA cash programs, so your funding contributions for motel stays will still be very much needed and put to good use.

https://www.ksbw.com/amp/article/newsom-requests-major-disaster-declaration-for-storm-response-and-recovery/43446044

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Hi friends and family! We’re hoping you can help us out with the small role we are playing in our local environmental justice crisis in Pajaro. Through Mike’s role at Second Harvest Food Bank, he has been closely involved with helping respond to the impacts of the Pajaro River flood.

As of today, 3/25, 2 weeks after the Pajaro River breached the levee into the town of Pajaro (just across the river from Watsonville), over 900 homes have been damaged to point of requiring inspection for safety and environmental hazards, and official signage on the streets indicate that the area remains unsafe to live in. Many evacuees are still unable to go home until clean water and sewer services are restored. The federal government still has not declared this a disaster area, and FEMA is not here to help. Pajaro is just over the Monterey County Line, but most of the disaster victims are actually now in Watsonville either at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds (which filled up quickly) or in motels, which is making things tricky since the jurisdictional lines are fuzzy. The situation is very complicated, and this is a low-income, mostly immigrant and Spanish-speaking community in agricultural land that has been neglected for decades: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-03-12/authorities-knew-the-levee-could-fail

Evacuees staying at the Fairgrounds have access to 3 free daily meals, but those at the motels are not allowed to access meal services. So, it has been up to community organizations and individual community members to self-organize and start getting some meals to the motels.

We received a request for food that is “more like what we would normally eat” - ie: culturally relevant food. Mike has been collaborating with Pedro (pictured), a Pajaro evacuee staying at the Rodeway Inn who has been doing amazing community organizing for his 130+ fellow evacuees staying at the motel. They have requested a taco truck, and we would LOVE to help make that happen. It seems like it would also lift some spirits and be a bit of a morale builder in these tough times.

We’re putting up $500 and hoping for another $800 with “a little help from our friends”.

Through this GoFundMe campaign:

Any amount of $$ helps. If you're interested in helping out with any other food-related disaster response, please sign up through Second Harvest Food Bank at https://www.thefoodbank.org/volunteer-trial/

Thank you and peace,

Mike & Elida

Additional request for detailed information from GoFundMe team on 3/30/23:

1. How you are related to the person(s) you are raising funds for:

In an effort to separate Mike's personal and professional efforts to respond to this disaster along with the series of storms we have had on the central coast of CA, Mike kept our description a bit vague but he does work professionally for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County. Since the Pajaro River Levee breached over two weeks ago, Mike has been working on the ground to meet the basic needs of residents, including impacted evacuees in staying in motels as temporary shelter. During this time Mike has created personal relationships with evacuees, particularly those staying at the Rodeway Inn in Watsonville, CA. Many of these relationships at the Inn have been developed during the nightly meal service. Second Harvest provides hot meals so families do not have to choose between staying in a motel another night vs. buying food. Particularly low cost food that is likely unhealthy.

2. Your transfer plan to get the funds from your GoFundMe to the intended recipient(s)

Ashley Bridges, Executive Director of Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes (TIN 77-0319247) is a 501c3 that provides daily free lunches for the unhoused and anyone in need. PVL&F is both a partner of Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County, but they have also stepped up and collaborated on meeting the basic needs of Pajaro residents and evacuees through our on the ground efforts to feed the community.

3. How the funds will be spent.

As of 3/30/23, FEMA has yet to make a formal declaration of release any funds to these disaster victims, and if/when they do, the high proportion of undocumented residents in Pajaro will very likely not qualify for this cash assistance if it becomes available.

As the disaster drags on, some residents are returning home to damaged homes without potable water because they cannot stay in shelter, with friends, or in hotels. These funds will be provided to Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes to be distributed to families staying in local hotels to ensure they have a roof over their heads. Funds will be directed particularly to those with homes that are Red tagged or Yellow tagged, meaning that the home is unsafe, either structurally and/or environmentally, in California/Monterey County. The town of Parajo is on the other side of the Monterey County line from Santa Cruz County. Many CBOs in Santa Cruz County, including Second Harvest, fill the void and provide social service this community regardless of this current disaster.