FOOD PANTRY PROGRAM
Food Pantry
What began as an idea became a practice and is now a growing community. Volunteers at the Barrios Unidos Food Pantry gather weekly to serve 100-200 individuals each Friday and Saturday. Each week draws a diverse crowd, with elders, youth, college students, houseless individuals, previously incarcerated individuals, immigrants, and artists all coming to receive food, volunteer, and build community and receive donations from Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Gayles Bakery.
Background
The story of the Barrios Unidos Food Pantry began like many of the organization’s programs, with individuals gathering to meet a need in the community. While members of Barrios Unidos have long understood food security as an essential component for the healing, development, and survival of communities, it was in early 2016 that founder Nane Alejandrez and his wife Jenny decided to take action.
With generous donations from the local Trader Joe’s, Nane and Jenny began handing out food from the front of their house in Santa Cruz, while also transporting donations to distribute at Watsonville’s city plaza. Through word of mouth, what started as a small group quickly grew into lines of individuals volunteering and receiving food. Nane, Jenny, and members of the community were both happy to serve and shocked by the number of families in need of such a basic human necessity.
Then, COVID-19 happened — transforming our society and leaving marginalized individuals in an increasingly dire situation. Despite many businesses and organizations closing their doors, members of Barrios Unidos kept their programs and food pantry open because they knew they were necessary. With many out of work, the need for assistance reached unprecedented levels. Barrios Unidos knew they could serve more people, so they acquired additional donations from Costco and Gayle’s Bakery. With more resources and increased demand, the Barrios Unidos Food Pantry outgrew Nane and Jenny’s front yard and was eventually moved to the Barrios Unidos’ main center at 1817 Soquel Ave.
Time after time, a natural disaster, pandemic, or economic crisis devastates our communities. Food security is always the first step toward recovery during these disasters. In early 2022, the Pajaro Levees broke, unleashing floods that ripped through communities and left many families with nothing. Pajaro comprises the working-class, predominantly farm-working communities of color. What was already an overexploited resource area was now a mass destruction site. Barrios Unidos knew these folks were in desperate need, so community members from the organization loaded up vans full of groceries, toiletries, clothes, and furniture to help rebuild.
Folks from Pajaro invited volunteers of Barrios Unidos into what was once their homes and expressed how their cars, family heirlooms, beds, and valuables were wiped away during the floods. The stories of family members running to save their children and elders from the rapid flash flooding were most shocking to the volunteers.
Each day for months, Barrios Unidos staff and volunteers provided pounds of assistance to the families and individuals of Pajaro. From house visits to setting up at community landmarks to handing out goods to houseless folks under the bridge, Barrios wanted to make as much of an impact as they possibly could. Pajaro is still in recovery, but everyone involved in this experience grew stronger, not just from the distributed resources, but from the stronger sense of community.
