From:
- Friends Committee on National Legislation Santa Cruz Advocacy Team
- Indivisible Santa Cruz Foreign Affairs Team
- Community Leaders in the 19th Congressional District
Representative Jimmy Panetta
200 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
August 21, 2025
Dear Representative Panetta,
We, the undersigned community leaders from your Congressional District, write with deep concern about the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where children are dying daily due to lack of access to basic necessities like food, baby formula, clean water, and medical supplies. Mothers in Gaza are so malnourished that they cannot produce breast milk to feed their infants.
In a public statement released on July 28, you acknowledged that “the aid distribution by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been uncoordinated, dangerous and deadly.” We are anguished by the fact that, as has been reported daily, starving people walking miles to four GHF aid sites in Gaza are being shot by the Israeli military as a form of “crowd control.” It is now reported that more than 1,900 Palestinians have been killed simply trying to access food since late May 2025.
We were encouraged by your further statement that “Israel, the international community, and President Trump must do more to collaborate and ensure a massive surge of humanitarian relief to Gaza immediately.”
History has shown that experienced and independent humanitarian organizations can be quickly and widely effective in delivering lifesaving assistance, in the absence of external obstruction. United Nations aid agencies have provided humanitarian assistance in Gaza for decades, with 400 food sites. According to the UN, its network has 171,000 metric tons of food in the region ready for immediate delivery to Gaza, once blockade on the entry of aid is fully lifted by the Israeli authorities.
This is enough food to feed the entire Gaza population of 2.1 million people for three to four months.
Given that your actions can save lives, we are asking your immediate action on the following:
· We ask that you urgently make public statements and work with the White House, Congress and the international community to use all possible means, such as diplomacy, negotiation, or withholding military aid, to pressure Israel to ensure the immediate and unfettered access of the United Nations aid agencies to bring food to the starving people in Gaza.
· We ask you to immediately co-sponsor H.Res 473 which “calls on the White House, Department of State, and other relevant United States Government agencies to urgently use all available diplomatic tools to bring about the release of the hostages, the immediate and secure delivery and disbursement of the necessary food and humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians, and a durable end to the conflict in Gaza.” This symbolic resolution has the important effect of creating public pressure, and we call on you to actively support it.
This is a moment to show leadership and compassion, reflecting the values that unite our nation.
We sign this letter as concerned individuals, and anticipate hearing back from you as soon as possible. We ask that you send your response to Mimi Edgar and her coordinating committee.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent humanitarian need, and for your service to our community.
Sincerely,
| Marcy | Alancraig | Emeritus English Faculty, Cabrillo College | Santa Cruz |
| Sam | Altis | Executive Director, Association of Faith Communities | Santa Cruz |
| Tina | Andreatta | DCC member | Aptos |
| Mary Fran | Archer | Artist, retired teacher | Santa Cruz |
| Wendy Root | Askew | Monterey County Supervisor | Marina |
| Ellen | Aucoin-Unrhe | Bilingual Elementary School Teacher (ret) | Santa Cruz |
| Ellen | Bass | SC Poet Laureate, 2014, Chancellor Emerita, Academy of American Poets | Santa Cruz |
| Illana | Berger | Zen Roshi, Seven Directions Zen | Scotts Valley |
| Mark | Bernhard | Doctor of Chiropractic | Santa Cruz |
| Mariposa | Bernstein | Doctor of Acupuncture, Five Branches University | Santa Cruz |
| Gretchen | Bregman | Co-Leader, Sangha Shantivanam | Santa Cruz |
| Rev. Beverly | Brook | Chaplain, Peace United Church of Christ | Santa Cruz |
| Kat | Brown | Steering Committee Member, Santa Cruz County Indivisible | Soquel |
| Margarete | Brunner | Cantor at Temple Beth El Salinas | Salinas |
| Jennifer | Chae | Elementary School teacher in PVUSD | Santa Cruz |
| Tenzin | Chogkyi | Senior Teacher, Insight Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz |
| LaVerne | Coleman | Program Director (ret), WOMANCare Cancer Advocacy | Santa Cruz |
| Terra | Collier-Young | Five Seeds Ministry | Aptos |
| Deacon Patrick | Conway | Pastoral Associate, Resurrection Church | Aptos |
| Justin | Cummings | County Supervisor | Santa Cruz |
| Laura | Davis | Bestsellling Author and Teacher | Santa Cruz |
| Gerri | Dayharsh | Co-Clerk, Santa Cruz Friends Meeting (Quakers) | Ben Lomond |
| Damian | Delezene | Owner, Aptos Feed & Pet Supply | Aptos |
| Coleen | Douglas | Redwood Experience Guide and Community Singer | Santa Cruz |
| Mimi | Edgar | Friends Committe on National Legislation | ??? |
| Jenny | Evans | Co-Leader, Indivisible Santa Cruz County | Santa Cruz |
| Ellen | Farmer | Author, Edible Monterey Bay | Santa Cruz |
| Lani | Faulkner | DCC member | Santa Cruz |
| Julia | Feldman | Executive Director, Conflict Resolution Center | Santa Cruz |
| Carolyn Brigit | Flynn | Author and Teacher | Santa Cruz |
| David Arthur | Foster | former director of Habitat for Humanity | Santa Cruz |
| Trudy | Franzen | Pastor, Lutheran Community Church | Watsonville |
| Peg | Galli | Interfaith Network | Santa Cruz |
| Rone (Ramana) Canyon | Gasch | Psychological Associate | Santa Cruz |
| Peter | Gelblum | Chair, SCC Chapter ACLU of No. CA | Felton |
| Nancy Miller | Gomez | Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County 2025 | Soquel |
| Rachel | Goodman | Board Chair, KSQD Radio | Santa Cruz |
| S. Shasta | Greene | Esq. | Santa Cruz |
| Nashwan | Hamza | President, Arab American Club of Monterey County | Monterey |
| Bob | Hansen | Former UCSC Men’s Tennis Coach | Santa Cruz |
| Callia | Hansen | LCSW | Santa Cruz |
| Amanda | Harris-Altice | Co-leader, Indivisible Santa Cruz County | Santa Cruz |
| Rev. Elisha-Christopher | Hayden | Spiritual Director, Center for Spiritual Living | Santa Cruz |
| Marcia | Heath | Lead Educator in Movement and Dance, Founder of BodyWise | Santa Cruz |
| Nancy | Heischman | Dir, Conflict Resolution Services, UCSC (ret), | Aptos |
| Ava | Homa | Author | Pacific Grove |
| Faye | Johnson | Indivisible CA State Strong Liaison | San Lorenzo Valley |
| Rhonda | Johnson | Leader, Swing Left Santa Cruz | Soquel |
| Paul | Johnston | Interfaith Network | Santa Cruz |
| Kirsten | Juel | LCSW Psychotherapist | Felton |
| Alison | Kerr | Mayor, Del Rey Oaks, 2018 – 2022 | Del Rey Oaks |
| Laurie R. | King | Bestselling author | Santa Cruz |
| Manu | Koenig | Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors | Santa Cruz |
| Cathy | Krizik | President, Board of Trustees, Center for Spiritual Living | Santa Cruz |
| Carolyn | Krueger | Co-Chair, Central Coast Antiwar Coalition | Morro Bay |
| Jan | Landry | (ret) Santa Cruz Hospice | Santa Cruz |
| Don | Lane | Former Mayor, Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz |
| Regina | Langhout, PhD | UCSC Professor | Santa Cruz |
| Robert | Levering | Documentary Filmmaker, Author | Ben Lomond |
| Alesa | Lightbourne, PhD | Author; Former Dean, S P Jain School of Global Management | Santa Cruz |
| Rick | Longinotti | Co-Founder, Non-Violent Communication | Santa Cruz |
| Dr. Ann | Lopez | Executive Director, Center for Farmworker Families | Felton |
| Lois | MacGillivray | Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary | Santa Cruz |
| Rabbi Chel | Mandell | Tzimtzum Community | Santa Cruz |
| Dr. Margo | McBane | Phd, History | Santa Cruz |
| Rev. Anne | McNelly | Pastor, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church | Aptos |
| Kelly | Menehan | Co-leader, Indivisible Santa Cruz County | Santa Cruz |
| Rev.Tamara | Merrill | Minister, Center for Spiritual Living Santa Cruz | Aptos |
| Ami Chen | Mills-Naim | Elected member DCC District 3 | Santa Cruz |
| Bill | Monning | State Senator Emeritus | Carmel |
| Diego | Navarro | Founder, Academy for College Excellence | Santa Cruz |
| Scott | Newman | Assoc. Pastor, Santa Cruz Bible Church | Santa Cruz |
| MaryEllen | Olson | Social Worker | Watsonville |
| David | Pattee | Pastor, Peace United Church | Santa Cruz |
| Gary | Patton | Former Santa Cruz County Supervisor | Santa Cruz |
| Mark | Peake | Reverend at First Presbitarian Church | Monterey |
| Daniel | Phillips | Retired professor/Writer | Santa Cruz |
| Judy | Phillips | Retired realtor/Writer | Santa Cruz |
| Douglas | Pillsbury | Co-Chair, Central Coast Anti Oppression Community | San Luis Obispo |
| Ron | Pomerantz | Board Member, ACLU | Santa Cruz |
| Donna | Pulling | Unitarian Universalists Anti Oppression Community | San Luis Obispo |
| Fred | Risser | M.D., Psychiatry, retired | Santa Cruz |
| Graeme | Robertson | Rotary Club of Carmel | Carmel |
| Glenn | Robinson | Senior Fellow MIIS – Author – Lecturer | Pebble Beach |
| Dr. Robert | Rocco | Physician, Salud Para La Gente | Santa Cruz |
| Ivan | Rosenblum | Pianist & Composer, retired professor | Santa Cruz |
| Carolyn Davis | Rudolph | Owner, Charlie Hong Kong Restaurant | Santa Cruz |
| Edith | Ruiz | Educator & Treasurer of Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers Watsonville | |
| Stan | Rushworth | Faculty Emeritus, Cabrillo College | La Selva Beach |
| Meg | Sandow | Psy.D, Retired Psychologist, County of Santa Cruz | Felton |
| Chaim | Schneider | Rabbi | Aptos |
| Ella | Schwab | Educator | Santa Cruz |
| Ata | Shaheen | Reporter at KION News | Salinas |
| Kim | Shirley | Del Rey Oaks City Councilmember and Educator | Del Rey Oaks |
| James | Silva | Lompoc & Central Coast Antiwar Coalition | San Luis Obispo |
| Dr. Mackenzie | Steiner | Clinical Psychologist, Nature’s Mosaic Psychotherapy | Felton |
| David | Sullivan | Professor of English, Cabrillo College | Santa Cruz |
| Gina Athena | Ulysse | PhD, professor, UCSC | Santa Cruz |
| Patrice | Vecchione | Author and Educator | Del Rey Oaks |
| Jane | Weed | SC Mayor Emeritus, Founder Positive Discipline Community Resources | Santa Cruz |
| Christine | Winge | Large local food agency/ Not to be disclosed | Monterey |
| Noreen | Winkler | Co-Clerk, Santa Cruz Friends Meeting (Quakers) | Santa Cruz |
| Nancy Miller | Wood | Well-known mystery writer | Santa Cruz |
| Nico | Wright | Director, Quaker Center | Ben Lomond |
| Gary | Young | Director, Cowell Press, UCSC | Santa Cruz |
| Rick | Yramategui | Minister, Carmel Valley Community Chapel | Carmel Valley |