Generosity in the time of COVID-19

by Susan True (originally published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel on April 20, 2020)

Like many of you, I’m getting to know my living room well. But,I’m also getting to know you--the residents of Santa Cruz County--in the most profound way. I already knew that we were a hard-working community driven to serve, rich in ideas, and filled with creativity. But in this COVID-19 pandemic, the radiance of our true colors are shining through. In the past several weeks, I have seen the depths of Santa Cruz County’s courage, resiliency, agility, compassion, and generosity.

The “shelter in place” order is by far the safest action we can take to protect our beloved community but we all know these critical precautions are also wreaking havoc economically. Locally, needs are rapidly evolving in both complexity and magnitude and the demand for basic essential services is growing by the hour.

Even while sheltering in place, I have a magical window to the county where I witness care in action. As CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, my team and I listen to leaders on the front lines and across sectors to get resources where they are most needed and to do so quickly. We are part of a network of over 750 community foundations nationwide. As public grantmaking charities, we are dedicated to improving lives locally, bringing together the resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective and trusted nonprofit partners. To date, community foundations across the country have raised $536 million to support regional COVID-19 relief efforts. Here in Santa Cruz County, generous community members have helped us grant over $3 million for COVID-19 relief. 

The ripple effect of our community’s generosity, the stories of these connections, and their resulting collaborations show what this county is made of. Driscolls donated a forklift to Second Harvest to help with the drastic  increase in the number of people who need food for their families (up 250%). Housing Matters staff stepped in to help the county turn the Veterans Hall into a shelter for people experiencing homelessness. When rent came due the first week of April, donors to  the Community Foundation provided rental assistance through trusted organizations such as Community Action Board, Catholic Charities, Center for Farmworker Families, Families in Transition, and Valley Churches United. Cruz One and Cruzio teamed up with the County Office of Education to ensure more low-income students gain access to adequate broadband and computers for distance learning. The Arts Council and the County Office of Education moved arts education online, O’Neill Sea Odyssey did the same - just when kids need nature and art more than ever. Cabrillo College Makerspace and Idea Fab Labs started fabricating PPE for our essential workforce. Our donors helped Salud Para la Gente make sure that underinsured patients have money for prescription co-pays to keep them out of the hospital and healthy.

As these organizations have shown us, we can care for each other in many ways. If you feel safe to do so, our front-line nonprofits urgently need help from shopping for seniors to delivering groceries to the medically vulnerable and volunteering at food distribution sites. The Volunteer Center is coordinating efforts across the county for people who can leave their homes and even those who can’t. If you are able, donate to support those putting themselves at risk to serve others--the childcare providers for essential workers and those who are staffing our hospitals, grocery stores, farms, and first response teams. You can donate to organizations you know and love and you can give to the Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund. 

As you shelter in place, you may not get to see the acts of generosity that happen every day across the county. I hope that reading these stories gives you some encouragement and hope. From my living room to yours, thank you for all your contributions - in so many forms - to strengthen our community as we come through this, together. 

Susan True is the CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County (CFSCC).