The Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building serves as a meeting place for people who have served in the U.S. military and as a hub for medical, housing and social services.
But at 88 years old, the building is showing its age. The elevator is out of order, the kitchen needs upgrades, and the facility has a long list of deferred maintenance projects.
On Thursday, those improvements moved closer to reality when Rep. Zoe Lofgren presented a $1.2 million check, making the veterans building one of 13 community projects she submitted for the fiscal year 2026 congressional appropriations cycle.
The funding will support planned improvements to the historic memorial building aimed at increasing accessibility and mobility, ensuring it can continue serving veterans, their families and community events in South County.
“Obviously it’s an important building for seniors and veterans, but it needs some work,” Lofgren told a crowd of veterans, city officials and elected leaders during a brief ceremony. “It’s important for the veterans here. They should have a nice place. They should be able to use the second floor.”
Lofgren said members of Congress can select a limited number of projects in their districts for federal funding.
“I figured this was one of the overlooked projects, and I put it on my list for funding,” she said.
The appropriations package has passed the House and Senate and been signed into law, she said.
“This funding has been signed into law,” Lofgren said. “If they drag their feet on the money, I want to know about it, because we’ll jump all over them and make sure that the money comes through.”
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, a veteran, called the funding “a spectacular moment for everyone.”
“This is a proud moment for us veterans, but for the entire community as a whole as well,” he said.
Roland “Doc” Garza, who runs a weekly food pantry for veterans at the building, said local organizations serving veterans will eventually need the expanded space made possible by the upgrades.
“We’re going to eventually grow some more,” he said.
The veterans building was one of 13 community projects Lofgren submitted for the 2026 appropriations cycle. On the same visit to Watsonville, she also delivered a $900,000 check to the construction site of the Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center, a new substance use disorder treatment facility operated by Encompass Community Services.
The funding will pay for furniture, fixtures and information technology equipment at the new center, which will provide bilingual treatment services.
“One of my top priorities as a Member of Congress is ensuring that constituents in California’s 18th Congressional District have access to comprehensive care, no matter the language they speak,” Lofgren said in a statement. “I was very encouraged to hear that this facility was being built to offer bilingual services to hundreds and hundreds of our community members. It’s my pleasure to deliver this $900,000 check to ensure that this facility has the capacity to serve more clients and change more lives.”
According to Encompass Community Services, the Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center will provide personalized, bilingual treatment to nearly 1,000 community members annually. The residential facility will be equipped to serve 30 people at a time and includes a kitchen, treatment and wellness areas, bedrooms and communal living space.
Kim Morrison, interim CEO of Encompass Community Services, said the federal funding will expand access to care locally.
“This funding will allow us to expand life-saving behavioral health treatment at our new Sí Se Puede Behavioral Health Center in Watsonville, ensuring more individuals and families can access the care they need, close to home,” Morrison said.
Lofgren’s office said she secured a total of $58,022,000 in community project funding for Watsonville and Santa Cruz County and plans to deliver additional checks in the coming weeks.
