Staff of Life donates more than $24K to charities in 2017
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Staff of Life Natural Foods donated more than $24,000 to Santa Cruz County community charities through its Sharatoken Program and GivBack Community Program during 2017.
“Staff of Life believes supporting our community is a rewarding and essential part of doing business in Santa Cruz,” said Richard Josephson, owner of Staff of Life Foods. “Every year our donation grows from our active donation campaigns.”
Staff of Life Foods has been locally owned and operated in Santa Cruz for 50 years. The Sharatoken program gives back to the community every time a shopper brings in their own bag.
Recipients of 2017 donations include: Bike Santa Cruz, California Native Plant Society, CASA of Santa Cruz County, Community Bridges, Dientes Dental, Hospice of Santa Cruz, KidQuest, MHCAN, Monarch Services, Native Animal Rescue, Save Our Shores and Second Harvest Food Bank.
Total Sharatoken donations for 2017 were in excess of $15,000.
Staff of Life also has an active GivBack Community Program with donations of gift certificates and other items to local schools and charities. Total GivBack donations and sponsorships for 2017 were more than $9,000.
“We are proud of serving Santa Cruz and surrounding areas for almost 50 years,” said Gary Bascou, co-owner of Staff of Life Natural Foods. “Our community is very important to us and we actively give back in a variety of ways. Whether it be through gift certificates, our Staratoken Program or through sponsorships, Staff of Life supports nonprofits all over Santa Cruz County.”
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Bay Federal guarantees $1.5 million in financing for Habitat for Humanity families
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — Bay Federal Credit Union has pledged $1.5 million in low-interest financing for families in the Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay program.
Up until now, Habitat Monterey Bay has carried and serviced all the loans for its homes. Going forward, Bay Federal’s financial support will enable Habitat Monterey Bay to serve more families as it looks to expand its portfolio of affordable homes by 30 percent over the next five years. With volunteer labor and often-discounted property, $1.5 million will translate into approximately five new dwellings.
“Bay Federal is committed to this community and committed to advocating for affordable housing,” said Carrie Birkhofer, president and CEO of Bay Federal. “We’ve worked with Habitat for many years, and we were in a unique position to help. I’m confident that this partnership will make a real financial difference in the lives of local families.”
While Bay Federal has worked with Habitat Monterey Bay in the past to provide families with counseling from a certified financial educator ahead of their home purchase, this is Habitat Monterey Bay’s first partnership for third-party financing.
