COMMUNITY NEWS
Second Harvest Drivers Hit the Road
Employees Deliver Healthy Food to 75,000 People Countywide
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hey cover our county acting as the meals per month, to a pandemic peak virtual spokes in Second Harvest of approximately 105,000 people being Food Bank’s hub and wheel food dis- served. The fairground and boardwalk distritribution system, providing approximately 75,000 people healthy meals each month to butions were greatly supported by National Guard members from all over California. fight food-insecurity. The trucks they drive are mobile bill- As reported, it was an impressive and essential effort that helped thousands in boards for a nearly 50-year-old nonprofit. People wave to Second Harvest drivers. need. A driver shortage, the loss of essential Our communities recognize the food bank as feeding hope by helping people get volunteer workers due to Covid restrictions, combined through rough with a 100 times. percent increase Drivers hit in food demand, the road daily. meant 12-hour They stage the work days, pallets of food explains Kevin to fit the truck, Mendez, logistics the day’s sales manager at orders and stops Second Harvest. they’ll make M e n d e z on their route. started at the Starting from food bank earlier Second Harvest this year from a in Watsonville, they follow their Second Harvest Food Bank driver Alex Jimenez delivering similar position route sheets to food pallets to People’s Pantry at Twin Lakes Church in Aptos. with a for-profit produce sup50 food pantries from Ben Lomond to Davenport, Santa plier. The driver shortage now corrected, is Cruz to Corralitos and everywhere in presently a seven-member team, typically working a 40-hour week with only occabetween. Transport team members unload and sional overtime, Mendez adds. What The Drivers Say help distribute food at partner locations, regularly meeting the people they’re he expanded Second Harvest driver serving and experiencing our community’s team includes: David Garcia, Jorge love for their essential work. Gasca, Miguel Hernandez, Alex Jimenez, They also visit neighboring counties’ food banks to deliver or acquire supplies. Drivers fan out across the county and beyond to pick up food bank donations from Lakeside Organics, Big Lots, Orowheat and Mastronardi Produce among others. Behind the food bank’s drivers are others at Second Harvest managing the logistics and finances of continuous supply and the essential warehouse team, sorting and staging loaded cargo pallets for daily food deliveries. Pandemic Challenges Overcome hile the truck-driver shortage nationally has been widely reported, that problem is primarily in the long-haul sector, where drivers are away from home for many days at a time. Second Harvest drivers are home every night after work. During the early stages of the pandemic, Second Harvest was greatly challenged to maintain vastly increased food distribution from averaging 55,000
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Second Harvest Food Bank drivers (from left): Jorge Gasca, Kevin Mendez, Miguel Hernandez (in truck), Agustin Tarelo, Alex Jimenez, and Misael Robledo. Not pictured: David Garcia and Peter Vasquez. Misael Robledo, Agustin Tarelo and Peter Vasquez Jr. “Working here is gratifying because you’re helping people and treated well,” says Miguel Hernandez, a 14-year veteran food bank employee. “This is a large team effort,” adds Peter Vasquez, who joined Second Harvest seven months ago. “The drivers and warehouse crew make it all happen, not just the drivers. People wave to us. It feels good. This is a good job for a young person starting out. Good benefits and time off. And the community knows us.”
“Of all the jobs I’ve had, this is the most satisfying,” Alex Jimenez acknowledges. “We work as a team and independently (while on the road) and I’ve become selfmotivated to do my best when you see and meet people, knowing they will have food.” Another recent team addition, Jorge Gasca, puts it this way. “Every time we visit a food distribution partner’s site, people tell us how they value the food they’re receiving. It’s a good workplace environment. Very different from a forprofit company.” n
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www.tpgonlinedaily.com Capitola Soquel Times / December 2021 / 5
