12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 20-26, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com In the two months after the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved a $728,000 disaster aid program for residents impacted by this winter’s storms, local nonprofits disbursed more than $450,000 of that money to hundreds of households and thousands of people in need of assistance. The county implemented the program, approved by the Board of Supervisors in late April, through local nonprofits United Way Monterey County and Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey—with the goal of swiftly delivering aid in lieu of slow-moving federal and state relief measures. The two charities coordinated to divide up coverage areas and to prevent duplicate payments through the program, which offers up to $750 to households in flood-affected areas. United Way administered its initial phase of funds through two organizations, Watsonville-based Community Bridges and Salinas-based Door to Hope; those two focused their efforts on Pajaro and the Greenfield-King City area, respectively. Catholic Charities, which handled its allocation in-house, prioritized South County communities like San Ardo and San Lucas. Together, the charities decided on a funding scale starting at $450 for a single-person household and moving up in $100 increments, to $750 for a household of four or more. Residents with income between 0 percent and 200 percent of the federal poverty level were eligible for payments—as were, crucially, undocumented residents. Per county guidelines, nonprofits were required to disburse their first phase of funds by the end of the fiscal year, on June 30. On United Way’s side, Community Bridges distributed more than $170,000 to residents while Door to Hope gave out nearly $38,000; that money went to more than 330 households, with the majority (around 270) located in the Pajaro area. Catholic Charities disbursed over $248,000 to more than 350 households. While the organizations prioritized those whose homes sustained flood damage, many others still needed help—such those displaced and forced to reside in hotels for weeks, or farmworkers who lost income due to flooded fields. “People were waiting for months for this assistance because they were in debt, needed money and were not able to cover basic needs,” notes Angela Di Novella, executive director of the local Catholic Charities chapter. “[The program] did meet a lot of needs that no other funding source would have been able to fill,” says Ray Cancino, Community Bridges CEO. The Transportation Agency for Monterey County is responsible for transportation infrastructure—but part of what it does is support mobility efforts within existing infrastructure. In 2016, voters passed Measure X. A small portion of Measure X funds—$500,000 a year— are designated for active mobility, such as walking and biking or providing access to transit. TAMC doesn’t offer such programs itself, but provides grants to local nonprofits to do the work of providing low-cost transportation to elders and people with disabilities— enabling them to engage in everyday activities such as going to doctor’s appointments, shopping for groceries, or socializing. The grants are awarded every three years. This year, five nonprofits received grants: Independent Transportation Network Monterey County, through which volunteers offer rides; the Blind & Visually Impaired Center of Monterey County; Partnership for Children, which transports kids in need of out-of-county medical services to their destinations; Josephine Kernes Memorial Pool in Monterey, which offers adaptive exercises; and the Alliance on Aging. While local nonprofits anywhere in Monterey County can apply for these funds, this group of recipients serves primarily the Peninsula, Salinas and North Monterey County. Chris Barrera, a member of the Measure X Citizens Oversight Committee, wants to see more emphasis on organizations serving South County: “It would be nice if nonprofits in [South County] cities could apply.” Over 15 percent of the county’s population is 65 and older; a higher proportion are concentrated on the Peninsula, notes TAMC Executive Director Todd Muck. In awarding grants, he says they factor in population and cost-benefit. “You’re making decisions based on, are you giving less rides to people and traveling farther, or more rides to people [in a] more densely populated area?” TAMC says it has made outreach efforts and is working on providing more services in South County. Relief Map County’s storm aid program has doled out over $450K to hundreds of households. By Rey Mashayekhi news Seasoned Cooking Learn how to put together a quick, easy meal using produce that is in season. Join the Blue Zones Project and Chef Chris Vicioso for a summertime cooking demonstration. The evening will include tastings, tips for healthier cooking, lessons on purchasing produce that is in season, and a free raffle. 5:30pm Thursday, July 20. Monterey Public Library, 625 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 646-3933, monterey. org/calendar.php. Sweet Surprise Every Friday in the month of July, the Salinas Recreation Center is handing out sweet and savory treats to anyone who stops by. Enjoy a summer snack at the end of the week by stopping by one of several locations. 1-2pm Friday, July 21 at various Salinas locations: Firehouse Recreation Center, 1330 E. Alisal St.; El Dorado Park, 1655 El Dorado Dr.; Closter Park, 401 Towt St.; Central Park, 420 Central Ave. 4pm Friday, July 21 at Bread Box Recreation Center, 745 N. Sanborn Rd., Salinas. 758-7381, bit.ly/ SalinasRecTreats. Pilot Project The startup Sitos Group is introducing a pilot pyrolysis facility to Monterey County and invites the public to take a tour at this launch ceremony. The biochar production plant super-heats wood byproducts and is a way of sequestering carbon in a substance that is also useful for agriculture. 12:30-2:30pm Friday, July 21. ReGen Monterey, 14201 Del Monte Blvd., Marina. Free; RSVP required. 7442544, sitos.earth. Pocket Parks Volunteers with the Friends of Seaside Parks Association are working on neighborhood parks each week to keep them beautiful. Come make a difference in your community and help with weeding, mulching, planting and picking up trash. Children and pets are welcome. FOSPA meets 10am-noon every Saturday, rotating through parks. July 22 at Highland Otis Park (between Highland and Mendocino streets at Mingo Avenue), and July 29 at Durant Park (between Vallejo and Darwin streets off Wanda Avenue), Seaside. Free. friendsofseasideparks.org. Policing the Police The public is invited to learn about potential future oversight of the county Sheriff’s Office and implications of Assembly Bill 1185. Public comment is welcome either in-person or virtually. 5:30-7:30pm Wednesday, July 26. County administrative building, 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas, or virtually at montereycty.zoom.us/j/224397747. Free. 755-5111, co.monterey.ca.us. Fair Fare Transportation Agency funding is not all infrastructure projects—some goes to nonprofits. By Celia Jiménez Early flood aid efforts in Pajaro included essential items for impacted residents. Above, American Red Cross volunteers hand out supplies as residents return home in March. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “People were waiting for months for this.” Daniel Dreifuss
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