WATSONVILLE — With a proposed plan of billions in federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program now heading before the Senate, a coalition of local nonprofits and organizations called the Pajaro Valley Collaborative hosted a press conference Monday to highlight what these cuts would mean to the local economy and farmers and encouraged people to fight back.
Among the many items included in Congress’ latest budget reconciliation bill, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is a proposal to cut $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through 2034, the largest cut in the program’s history, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The program, known as CalFresh in California, provided food for an average of 42 million low-income people per month in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The bill passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 215-214-1. It will now go before the Senate.
The press conference was hosted at Second Harvest Food Bank, which previously held a press conference in March to announce that a pause in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture led to 177,000 pounds of food missing from the food bank’s shelves. Second Harvest is one of 26 nonprofits and public institutions that constitute the Pajaro Valley Collaborative, a partnership focused on health and economic mobility in the Pajaro Valley.
Erica Padilla-Chavez, Second Harvest CEO, said the food bank distributes food to more than 100 locations throughout Santa Cruz County, as hunger is a persistent issue nationally, particularly in the Pajaro Valley.
“The number of neighbors in need of access to nourishment has been on the rise in the last decade,” she said. “Today, 1 out of every 3 neighbors in our community is food insecure, and many rely on the CalFresh program for nourishment.”
Padilla-Chavez said 44,000 county residents, half of whom live in the Pajaro Valley, depend on CalFresh for food and that the cuts would have a calamitous impact.
“We know how expensive food is nowadays, and while ($293 per month) may not be a lot, for an individual with a limited income and our seniors who have fixed incomes, losing this support would be devastating,” she said.
Tony Nunez-Palomino, marketing and community relations manager for the nonprofit Community Bridges, said the national child poverty rate was at a historic low of 5.2% in 2021, but had increased to 13% by 2023.
“We’ve pulled back from the very programs that were working,” he said. “We’ve disinvested in farmers, in families, in small businesses and in communities like ours.”
Nunez-Palomino said Community Bridges has its own food assistance programs like Meals on Wheels for Santa Cruz County, which he said is also feeling the impacts of inflation and a $70,000 reduction in county funding. This has resulted in an average of 18 applications every week and the program implementing its first-ever waitlist.
“If SNAP is cut, demand will surge even more,” he said. “And we may be forced to take an unthinkable step: disenrolling seniors who currently depend on us.”
Nunez-Palomino said that would be a major blow, as Santa Cruz County has the fastest-growing senior population in California.
“Food should not be a privilege,” he said. “Nutrition is a human right.”
Peter Navarro, first vice president of the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, said the cuts would take away $78 million in annual funding for county families, as every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.70 in economic activity.
“Agriculture isn’t just part of our identity,” he said. “It’s our economic backbone. Each year, farming brings in more than $650 million in direct production value to Santa Cruz County, much of it here in the Pajaro Valley.”
Lucy Casillas, the owner of El Valle Produce in Watsonville, said CalFresh has been a “lifeline” for families in the Pajaro Valley.
“As someone who sells fresh produce every day, I see how much people depend on this program to put healthy food on their tables,” she said. “Many of our customers use SNAP to feed their children, and without it, they would face serious hardship and difficult choices no family should have to make.”
Casillas said fewer people would be able to afford fresh produce, which would affect their health and the local economy, including farmers, small businesses and their employees.
“This isn’t just about numbers,” she said. “It’s about real families, real jobs and the health of our community. I hope our leaders will listen and do what’s right to protect this vital program.”
Doron Comerchero, co-executive director of the food justice and youth empowerment organization FoodWhat, said the cuts would lead to ripple effects and difficult decisions.
“We know it’s not OK for an abuela or abuelo to skip a meal so their grandchildren can eat,” he said. “We know it’s not OK when a parent has to choose between rent and dinner. SNAP/CalFresh is too important to be cut down.”
Doron Comerchero, co-executive director of the food justice and youth empowerment organization FoodWhat, calls upon people to urge California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff to not support cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (Nick Sestanovich — Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Comerchero encouraged the community to get involved by contacting California’s U.S> Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and encouraging them to support the program and also sharing messages to social media with the hashtags #OhSNAP!WeneedyouCALFRESH and #STAYCalFresh, while also tagging Padilla and Schiff.
He also encouraged bringing that passion to local elected officials and beyond.
“We ask that you elevate your conversation with other states and federal representatives urging them against these deep cuts,” said Comerchero.
Information on the Pajaro Valley Collaborative can be found at
PVCollaborative.org
.
© 2025 the Santa Cruz Sentinel (Scotts Valley, Calif.). Visit
www.Trixpoint
. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
