Nancy’s Project strives to improve the health and well-being of Monterey County farm worker families by providing food, clothing, household goods and enrichment items.
Nancy’s Project has delivered food, clothing and household necessities to Monterey County farm worker families since 1971. Those decades of interaction with our farmworker community have taught us what works: ensuring adequate nutrition for growing children and hardworking adults, delivered by our steadfast volunteers. Soaring costs have made protein sources nearly impossible for these families to obtain and for Nancy’s Project to offset. We know childhood development is affected by insufficient protein, so there is an opportunity cost as well as a health cost when protein supplies are low or unavailable. Further, inadequately nourished farm workers cannot effectively support their families. Many Nancy’s Project clients are likely among the 40.8% of Monterey County residents who were found to be insecure by a 2022 United Way study, having run out of food or been worried that they would. Our Big Idea is to source and deliver more quality protein-based nutrition.
The farm worker community is the backbone of the agricultural industry. The Monterey County Farm Bureau tells us that one in five households in Monterey County rely on income from the 76,000 jobs related to agriculture. The agricultural community contributes over $3.9 billion per year to Monterey County’s economic output and pays taxes that fund services for all Monterey County residents. Assuring that these people are well fed and have their basic family needs met provides a secure worker base for this industry and ultimately benefits us all.
Saint Paul San Pablo Episcopal Church in South Salinas has long been committed to alleviating hunger in our community. Through partnerships with gracious agencies and Nancy’s Project, we serve low-income farmworker families and seniors on fixed incomes, welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds with compassion and care. One woman from an Asian background, though unable to speak English or Spanish, brings candy in her pockets and quietly shares them with volunteers—her simple gesture speaks volumes about the gratitude and warmth felt in our shared atmosphere. We are deeply thankful to Nancy’s Project for embodying the gospel through their unwavering support and dedication to feeding the hungry.
- Alejandra Trillos, Salinas, CA.
