Mending the Net
Mending the Net is a five-part series from KAZU exploring how federal cuts brought by H.R. 1, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," have affected Santa Cruz County's social safety net. Each episode will focus on a non-profit working in a sector of social service, and how they are responding to this new reality.
| Support for this project comes from Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. Bringing together people, ideas, and resources to inspire philanthropy and accomplish great things. |
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H.R. 1 will reduce federal Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion over the next decade, leading millions of Californians to lose their health insurance coverage. In Santa Cruz County, roughly 1 in 3 residents rely on Medi-Cal, and many are patients at Salud Para La Gente in Watsonville, where Dr. Devon Francis is the chief medical officer. -
After the biggest cut to SNAP in the program's history, Erica Padilla-Chavez, the CEO of Second Harvest, expects to see "pandemic level" demand at Santa Cruz County's food bank.
