Nourish, a new fresh market program at Watsonville Community Hospital, is a dream come true for Second Harvest.
“We’ve imagined a world where access to healthy, nourishing food is not just a dream, but a reality for vulnerable pre- and post-natal moms and their families,” says Erica Padilla-Chavez, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County. “Thanks to the visionary partnership between Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County and Watsonville Community Hospital, this dream is now a reality with the launch of Nourish fresh market, a pioneering, free food pantry located within the hospital in the former gift shop.”
This collaboration includes fresh produce from our farmers markets. Each Friday, Catherine Barr, the Executive Director of the Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets, delivers produce to the hospital after Monterey Farmers Market. “Being a part of the Nourish program represents our market’s commitment to serving our community,” she says. “We provide an assortment of fresh vegetables and fruit each week to hospital’s new fresh market and staples pantry.”
The collaboration between Second Harvest Food Bank, Watsonville Community Hospital, and our generous agricultural community is truly remarkable. It exemplifies our local community’s steadfast dedication to the health and well-being of Santa Cruz County residents, ensuring patients, expectant mothers, and new families receive essential nourishment.
The Nourish Fresh Market is open to all patients and hospital personnel.
