It’s been a dizzying three weeks for Daniel Goldberg and the Zoomers to Boomers grocery shopping and delivery service he created to help South Coast seniors sheltered in place and other people isolated at home.
While Goldberg and his crew of fellow high school students were hustling to make deliveries, other cities throughout the country were contacting him, inquiring how they can join in.
Every day when Carmelita finishes her shift in the strawberry fields of California’s central coast, she sprays herself down with Lysol, takes off the handkerchief she uses to protect her face, and tucks it in a plastic bag before getting in her car. She’s the sole provider for her two young sons and can’t afford to miss a day on the job.
But these days, with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the country, that’s getting much tougher. Carmelita carefully follows the safety precautions recommended by health experts, but that’s especially difficult in the fields. The farm where she works in Oxnard isn’t enforcing safety protocols, the 44-year-old farmworker told Grist. (Carmelita requested that her last name be withheld because of fear of reprisals from her employer.)
What a whirlwind the last few weeks have been. While much has shifted rapidly, the natural world continues to move at the slower pace of fresh green growth and abundance. The recent generous rainfall triggered the first flushes of spring at the Carpinteria Garden Park, a slow unfurling that will provide food, beauty and comfort throughout the growing season.
Paper bags of food were arranged via assembly line at a Foodbank of Santa Barbara County warehouse in Santa Maria Friday by volunteers and members of the National Guard, who arrived to provide support amid a surge in demand for basic provisions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unity Shoppe is offering free food and other essentials to Santa Barbarans who are now unemployed or unable to work due to the spread and impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Santa Barbara community.
To meet the overwhelming need, Unity Shoppe has consolidated its offerings to food distribution alone and now estimates it is serving more than three times the number of families that came in for services just 10 days ago.
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County continues its work to provide enough healthy food to everyone who needs it in Santa Barbara County as the Covid-19 crisis unfolds. The Foodbank’s initiative is called Safe Access to Food for Everyone (SAFE) Food Net.
Find a guide to local gardens, farms, fisheries, restaurants, and more that are open from Edible Magazine.
