What We Do
A weekly grocery bag filled with fresh produce and healthy staples
Grey Bears distributes these Healthy Food Bags at various locations throughout Santa Cruz County, conveniently near your home or workplace, 48 weeks a year. Home deliveries are only available for seniors who are disabled and aged 50 or older.
Sustainability
Programs
Recycling
Every bottle, can, and newspaper counts. Grey Bears’ Recycling Center diverts millions of pounds from the landfill each year, turning waste into resources that sustain our programs and our planet.
Repair
Don’t toss it — fix it! Our Repair Café events empower the community to extend the life of beloved items, reduce waste, and learn valuable skills alongside talented volunteer fixers.
Compost
Transforming food scraps into nourishment for the earth. Our compost program closes the loop by reusing organic waste to create healthy soil — helping gardens and communities thrive while diverting food waste from the landfill.
Thrift Store
Shop with purpose. The Award- Winning Grey Bears Thrift Store offers gently used treasures at affordable prices, while supporting our mission to nourish seniors and protect the environment. Every purchase gives back.
Support Grey Bears
Your generosity fuels our mission. By donating, volunteering, or becoming a sponsor, you help deliver healthy food, build community, and promote sustainability for thousands of seniors. Join us in making a difference.
Meet Michael, our Accounting Supervisor! 🥕🐻
Like many people in Santa Cruz County, Michael first discovered Grey Bears as a community member browsing our thrift stores and looking for great finds at affordable prices. Later, Grey Bears would become a place of personal and professional growth. 🐻
With more than 10 years of financial experience, Michael joined Grey Bears just over three years ago as a part-time accounting professional. Today, he serves as our Accounting Supervisor, helping support the financial side of our organization and keeping many of the systems that help Grey Bears run smoothly connected. 💵
From accounts payable and receivable to monthly financials, staff payroll, and point-of-sale operations in our thrift stores, Michael works behind the scenes to keep things moving. He also played an important role in helping launch the new Grey Bears Book Den at Capitola Mall, working alongside our Operations Director, Kelly Murray, to support volunteers, coordinate donated books and CDs, and get the Square point-of-sale system up and running. 💻
Michael, thank you for everything you do for Grey Bears! We’re so grateful to have you on our team! 🥕
Mark your calendars! Grey Bears repair cafe is right around the corner!
📅 Saturday, October 3, 2026
⏰ 10 AM–1 PM
📍 Grey Bears Warehouse
2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95065
Thank you so much to our incredible volunteers, staff, sponsors, and nonprofit partners for helping make this year’s Harvest Festival one for the books! 🐻💛
We’re so grateful for everyone who came together to create a fun, welcoming celebration for our community. We couldn’t have done it without you! 🥕🐓💛
Calling all Bears!! 🐻
7 DAYS UNTIL THE HARVEST FESTIVAL! 🐓
Join us for the 53rd Annual Grey Bears Harvest Festival and celebrate another wonderful year of community, connection, and fun!
📅 September 19, 2026
⏰ 11 AM–3 PM
📍 Grey Bears
2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz
🚗 Parking: Available at the Old Flea Market (2260 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95065)
Special thank you to New Leaf Community Markets and Bogard Construction for helping us make it happen!
Grey Bears’ Second Saturday Sale is tomorrow! 🎉
📅 Saturday, September 12th
⏰ 10 AM–4:30 PM
📍 2710 Chanticleer Ave., Santa Cruz, CA 95065
50% OFF EVERYTHING, including:
👕 Clothes
🔧 Hardware
📚 Books
💻 Electronics
🌱 Garden supplies
…and MORE!
Come thrift, browse, discover some treasures, and support Grey Bears’ mission to feed local seniors in Santa Cruz County! 🐻💛
Please join us in welcoming River Goodyear, Grey Bears’ new Volunteer Coordinator! 💛🍓
A lifelong Santa Cruz resident, River brings extensive experience supporting older adults through caregiving, as well as working with local nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness, including seniors who have lost their housing.
River was first drawn to Grey Bears because of our long-standing legacy in the community. Since joining our team, she’s loved learning about the many ways people can volunteer and, most importantly, meeting the incredible volunteers who make Grey Bears so special. 🐻💛
If you see River around campus, be sure to say hello and give her a warm Grey Bears welcome! 👋
At Grey Bears, we treasure every opportunity to get out into the community, share resources, and connect with our neighbors. 🥕💛
Earlier this month, we joined our friends and neighbors at Pinto Lake for National Night Out! We had a wonderful evening sharing fresh fruits & vegetables, mini bags of our homegrown compost and a live worm composting demonstration led by Grey Bears volunteers Richard Dye and Jeff Smedberg! 🪱🫑
And the best part? We left with an empty truck and new sign-ups for the Grey Bears Healthy Food Program! 🛻
We also had the opportunity to table at the Strawberry Festival, where we connected with community members and shared fresh produce. 🍓
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello, learn more about Grey Bears, and share a little community spirit with us! 💛
We’ll see you at the next one! 🐻
Did you know Grey Bears offers FREE weekly classes for seniors? 🐻💛
There’s something for everyone! Whether you’re looking to relax, get moving, meet new people, or learn something new, our weekly classes are a great way to connect with other seniors in our community.
Join us for a class next week! 💛
Social Connection
Community is at the heart of healthy aging. Grey Bears creates spaces for seniors to connect, learn, and celebrate — from shared meals and educational workshops to vibrant volunteer opportunities. Everyone belongs here.