Santa Cruz Meals on Wheels may relocate

SANTA CRUZ, Calif: (KION-TV) Update Feb. 22, 2023, at 6:24 p.m.-  During a meeting on Wednesday, Live Oak School District voted unanimously to move the decision to relocate Meals on Wheels to a future meeting.

The board acknowledged more time was needed to come up with a solution and get public opinion.

ORIGINAL STORY

A vital hub for seniors services in Santa Cruz County might soon be forced to relocate. The Live Oak School District plans to use the property that Community Bridges is currently using to help out seniors in the county with housing and meals.

Community Bridges said they're scrambling now to find a new location while still fighting to keep their current senior service center at the 1777 block of Capitola Rd in the Live Oak area. Community Bridges and its Senior Network Service have called this portion of the Live Oak area home for decades.

This includes Meals on Wheels which feeds meals to hundreds of seniors, but all of that may soon change, as the Live Oak School District considers using the property that it actually owns.

"Tomorrow the superintendent put something on the agenda, finalizing the eviction of the final day of stay of June 30th, 2023,"  said CEO of Community Bridges, Raymon Cancino.

Cherry Walsh is disappointed with the move, she's used services at the senior center for 10 years.

"It's sad," said Walsh. "I'm frustrated because it was such a great benefit."

Right now the senior center stands in the way of Live Oak School District's plan to build affordable workforce housing. The potential June end date to find a new location give Community Bridges some time, but the goal is to keep the senior service hub in the Live Oak area.

"The reality is there are very few properties in our community to allow us to do that," said Cancino. "And unfortunately we're going to have to choose to go to Watsonville or we're going to have to choose to go to Santa Cruz."

But driving to those locations could limit someone like Walsh from receiving those services.

"It will, depending on the distance I have to go because I'm debating on giving up driving," said Walsh. "This facility here is within walking distance so it actually gets me out to walk."

Officials from Community Bridges said although operations will continue in other locations -- losing the Live Oak site will result in $18,000 less in meals served to the community.

Oak School District has yet to send us a statement on their behalf.