SACRAMENTO – Senator John Laird today announced he secured state funding for three San Benito County projects supporting local youth, strengthening local nonprofits, and helping bring more locally grown food into schools.

“San Benito County has incredible local organizations and one of the most productive agricultural communities in California, but having the right resources and infrastructure matters,” said Laird. “These investments will support young people, help local nonprofits compete for more funding and help the school district put more locally grown food on students’ plates. I’m glad we were able to secure this funding for San Benito County.”

The funding secured by Laird includes:

1. Youth Alliance Youth Impact Center in Hollister for facility renovations

The funding will support facility renovations at the Youth Alliance Youth Impact Center in Hollister, helping improve the space where the organization provides programs and services for local youth.

2. Community Foundation for San Benito County for a grant writer

The funding will support a grant writer through the Community Foundation for San Benito County to strengthen grant-writing capacity among nonprofits throughout the county.

Currently, only one nonprofit in the county has a dedicated grant writer, leaving most organizations without the staff time or technical expertise to pursue grants effectively, even as community needs continue to grow. The Community Foundation’s grant writer will aim to support more than 200 nonprofit organizations in the county over the course of 18 months.

Rather than simply writing individual grant applications, the position will help nonprofit staff and volunteers build the skills to pursue funding themselves, lead workshops and help develop a countywide pipeline of grant opportunities. The goal is to create a more sustainable approach to grant-seeking and help San Benito County organizations compete for additional state, federal, and philanthropic funding.

3. San Benito High School District for food storage facility

The funding will support construction of a dedicated food storage facility capable of safely receiving, storing, and managing larger quantities of locally produced meat and produce.

San Benito County is one of California’s most productive agricultural regions, but schools can face infrastructure limitations that make it difficult to store and prepare locally grown food. The new facility will help the district expand its capacity to serve fresh meat and produce from local farmers and ranchers including Renz Beef, Windswept Farms, Pinnacle Organics, and Tonascia Farms.

The facility will be built directly behind the new student union/cafeteria, spanning 1,500 square feet with freezers, refrigeration and an outdoor component for grilling food. The San Benito High School District expects the facility to be fully operational and ready to serve its 3,400 students by August 2027.

The three allocations are part of funding secured by Laird through the 2026-27 state budget and will be distributed to support the identified local projects and programs.