Senior Business Banking Officer, West Coast Community Bank
Jacob Guth Food Safety Program Manager, CCOF
Judith Levin
Therapist, Wooten and Associates
Betsey Lynberg
SC County Director of Capital Projects, Retired
Michael Watkins
SC County Superintendent of Schools, Retired
I am pleased to present the FY 2024-25 Grey Bears Annual Report, a year focused on stability and affirmation of organizational values to support planning to meet growing needs head on, even in uncertain times.
At the outset of the fiscal year Grey Bears concluded a months-long collaboration with volunteers, our board and staff to redefine our brand identity, in which our updated logo reflects the dynamic, healthy, thrifty, caring Grey Bears hug that is the hallmark of what we mean to the lives of so many seniors in Santa Cruz County. This last fiscal year, Grey Bears served over 63,000 hot lunch meals, delivered 196,000 bags of fresh produce, and clocked over 55,000 visits to the Grey Bears market.
Grey Bears continues to step up to the challenges facing Santa Cruz County’s growing senior population- the fastest-growing in the state of California with an 81 percent increase from the 2010 to 2020 census- to ensure we’re ready to meet the growing and changing needs of tomorrow’s seniors.
This sustained upward trajectory in the number of seniors receiving nourishment through Grey Bears’ food and social connection programs is why we have been planning a future within the walls of our new 11,000 square foot warehouse building purchased the previous fiscal year.
The new building will modernize and upgrade our facilities, creating a new, larger commercial kitchen, dignified indoor food market, community room, food delivery preparation and storage areas and administrative offices
Our plans and sound financial stewardship have not come without challenges. Grey Bears will lose a significant revenue source following a Santa Cruz County decision this year to take on its own recycling services at its Buena Vista landfill and Ben Lomond Recovery Facility
We are taking the change with aplomb and are approaching the challenge with creativity, doubling down on our long-held values, and a focus on deepening valueadded partnerships
This shift has pushed us to reimagine our sustainability values. Our communal lunch and food distribution programs were fueled by the nearly 2 million pounds of food Grey Bears volunteers recovered from local grocery stores and farms, rescuing what once was considered trash from the landfill and retooling it to feed seniors and foster social connections.
With a year of growth at our heels Grey Bears is leaning into its gleaning roots that began in 1973 with the first Harvest Festival, to build a bright future nourishing seniors’ bodies, minds and souls
As we look to the road ahead, we thank you for being on this journey with us. It takes a village: to the volunteers, donors, members, community champions, recyclers, and shoppers thank you for investing in this incredibly special place We couldn’t do it without you
In Service,
Jennifer Merchant Executive Director
Administration and Financials Funds In Funds At Work
Good food and water may sustain the body, but love and community nourish the soul At Grey Bears, this truth comes to life every day From volunteers sorting food for our Healthy Food Bags and Onsite Market, to the crews loading cars with bread and groceries for seniors, to the warm-hearted team preparing weekday lunches, these are the people sustaining a community
This year, the Healthy Food Program faced ongoing uncertainty: funding, food supplies, and how new faces and spaces will shape our work. Yet through it all, Grey Bears has remained steady in its mission to improve the health and well-being of seniors.
The needs are real, and so are the impacts 39% of participants rely on CalFresh, and 26% face housing insecurity. While Grey Bears cannot solve these systemic challenges alone, we continue to do what we do best: working together to ensure no one faces hunger without support.
1,824 1,824 individuals per month are served at the Onsite Market, representing 840 households.
hot meals served every year averaging 215 meals served every day.
11in2 in2
Market shoppers rely on food stamps to make ends meet.
72% of market shoppers and 55% of meal-goers experienced low food security in the past year.
The results speak clearly. 76% of participants report eating more fruits and vegetables, and 75% say they feel a stronger sense of community because of Grey Bears.
Looking ahead, we are preparing for a new chapter Our expanded space will include a state-of-the-art kitchen, larger coolers, and a more dignified Onsite Market that reflects our mission. As the grey tsunami grows, Grey Bears will grow with it We’ll meet new challenges through the coordinated efforts of our volunteers, food donation partners and over five decades of experience.
Together we’re building healthier plates and a healthier community.
Danielle Wong
Healthy Food Program Director
Healthy Food Bag Deliveries
195,769
BagsDelivered
By Grey Bears
Volunteers
40,827
ounds of Food
Distributed to Seniors ss Santa Cruz County
Healthy Food Program Participants
This heat map shows the number of households in our Healthy Food Program; Grey Bears serves nearly 4,000 senior households every month.
30%
30% of Brown Bag
Recipients receive home deliveries due to a health condition or disability.
Healthy Food = Healthy Seniors
4,000
Healthy Food Bags weighing 8-10 pounds are delivered throughout Santa Cruz County each week
30+
Varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables are provided each month
42 Drop-off locations
70 Delivery Routes
Grey Bears Groceries
317
Individuals, on average, receive groceries from Grey Bears each week. The Grey Bears Pantry allows each individual to “shop” for their own items, making the experience one with dignity, while eliminating food waste. On-site groceries include:
or or
Grey Bears Meals
1,000
Meals are, on average, prepared each week made using gleaned produce and pantry items to provide nutritious and delicious meals. Meals include: or
Grocery Partner Spotlight
50,207 lbs
Of food was donated by New Leaf Community Markets
e are proud to recognize New Leaf Community kets as our 2025 Community Partner. Their mmitment to hunger relief and sustainability has de a meaningful impact on our organization and families we serve.
w Leaf’s donations help us provide fresh, ritious food to seniors facing food insecurity. Their port goes beyond food, it’s a partnership rooted ompassion and community care.
th generosity and sustainability at the heart of their work, New Leaf Community Market has been a true lifeline for Grey Bears. Together, we transform food waste into abundance, ensuring older adults in our community enjoy hea the nourishment they see
Danielle Wong Healthy Food Program D
Farm Partner Spotlight
291,118 lbs 291,118 lbs
Of organic produce was donated by
Lakeside Organic Gardens
Lakeside Organic Gardens has been a generous and outstanding farm partner to Grey Bears for decades. Their unwavering support and incredible donations of fresh, organic produce have made a lasting impact on our programs and the lives of those we serve.
Thanks to their consistent generosity, we are able to include their top-quality crops not only in our daily food distributions but also in our weekly Healthy Food Bag program, which nourishes over 4,000 local seniors every week.
We are deeply grateful for Lakeside Organic Gardens and the vital role they play in helping us keep Santa Cruz County seniors healthy and thriving. It’s partnerships like these that make our mission possible.
Waste Not, Want Not
Did you know?
E-Waste is one of the fastest growing solid waste streams in the world. Less than a quarter of e-waste is recycled properly.
At Grey Bears, the spirit of “waste not, want not” has guided us since the very beginning. Sustainability is more than a value, it’s our mission. Every item we receive is seen not as waste, but as a potential resource that can be repurposed, reused, or recycled. Through your generous donations and continued support, we’ve been able to continue to feed seniors sustainably by using the revenue from our thrift store and recycling program to feed seniors through our Healthy Food Bag Program, which delivers nutritious groceries to thousands of local seniors each week.
When you donate to Grey Bears, you’re helping give items a second life and keeping them out of landfills With five diverse departments, Clothing, Electronics, Housewares, Hardware/Medical, and our one-of-akind Bookstore, you never know what you may find; we welcome you to come discover your next treasure
Recycle with Grey Bears
Recycle with Grey Bears
Thrift Stores Hours: 10am-4:30pm
*Every second Saturday of the month everything is 50% off!
Thrift Store
Donation Hours: 7:30am - 2 pm
Recycling Center Hours: 7:30am - 3:30 pm
Our Recycling Center, located at our Chanticleer campus, accepts glass, plastic, aluminum cans, scrap metal, and aluminum. Additionally, our EWaste Department plays a key role in our sustainability efforts We accept electronics including monitors, televisions, printers, tablets, phones, audio/video equipment, and various types of batteries Each item is carefully inspected by our st cleaned, tested, and sold in our Thr responsibly recycled and kept out o
Thank you to everyone in the comm has donated clothes or recycled at Grey Bears, YOU have helped feed a local senior.
Kelly Murray Operations Director
Sustainability programs
Giving New Life to Donations — and Nourishing Our Community
At Grey Bears, we take pride in giving a second life to the items generously donated to our thrift stores. Through our robust reuse and recycling programs, including our thrift store, e-waste center, and recycling centers, we are able to generate vital revenue that directly supports our Healthy Food Program. Thanks to the continued support of our donors and shoppers, we’re not only reducing landfill waste and promoting sustainability, but also providing nutritious food to thousands of seniors throughout our community.
5,813,012
Community in Action: Grey Bears Volunteers
Volunteer Highlight: Glean Team
Volunteers
At Grey Bears, we offer over 20 different volunteer opportunities that not only provide a sense of purpose through meaningful community impact but also connect individuals to a compassionate network of people who love giving back.
826 Volunteers
69,712
Donated Hours
$2,028,276
Value of Donated Time
Donated Volunteer Hours by Opportunity
Grey Bears’ gleaning roots go back to 1973, when our founders began harvesting extra produce from their gardens to share with local seniors. That tradition continues today stronger than ever.
In just the past five months, our 46 volunteer gleaners harvested 4,626 pounds of fresh fruit from backyards, gardens, and farms throughout Santa Cruz County. All of it went directly to older adults through our Healthy Food program.
Live Oak resident Kim Hughes, a retired UCSC employee and alum, shared what inspires her to glean:
"There’s a lot of waste in our society and a lot of need. Grey Bears captures some of our locally wasted resources and redistributes them That’s gleaning writ large."
"I love being outside in beautiful gardens and orchards, meeting generous homeowners, and working with a great group of people. There’s something joyful about fruit trees harvesting old fruit frees up energy for the tree to grow again And we’re putting that fruit directly into grocery bags for our community.”
Fellow volunteer Laura Colin adds:
“It’s physical, it’s outdoors, it prevents waste, and it supports people who are food insecure in our community ”
We are incredibly grateful to Kim, Laura, and all our gleaners for turning backyard abundance into nourishment for thousands of older adults
