Friends Committee on National Legislation Santa Cruz Advocacy Team
Indivisible Santa Cruz Foreign Affairs Team
Community Leaders in the 19th Congressional District
August 21, 2025
Representative Jimmy Panetta 200 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515
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 liftedby 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,
Mimi Edgar, Lead
Friends Committee on National Legislation Santa Cruz Advocacy Team
Indivisible Santa Cruz Foreign Affairs Team
Community Leaders
- Marcy Alancraig, Emeritus English Faculty, Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, 95065
- Sam Altis, Executive Director, Association of Faith Communities, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Tina Andreatta, Member, Democratic Central Committee, Aptos, 95003
- Mary Fran Archer, Artist and Retired Teacher, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Wendy Root Askew, Monterey County Supervisor, Marina, 93933
- Ellen Aucoin-Unrhe, Bilingual Elementary School Teacher (ret), Santa Cruz, 95060
- Ellen Bass, SC Poet Laureate 2014, Chancellor Emerita, Acad. of Am. Poets, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Illana Berger, Zen Roshi, Seven Directions Zen, Scotts Valley, 95066
- Mark Bernhard, Doctor of Chiropractic, Santa Cruz, 95065
- Mariposa Bernstein, Doctor of Acupuncture, Five Branches University, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Gretchen Bregman, Co-Leader, Sangha Shantivanam, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Rev. Beverly Brook, Chaplain, Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Kat Brown, Steering Committee Member, Indivisible of Santa Cruz County, Soquel, 95073
- Sandy Brown, Santa Cruz City Council emeritus, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Margarete Brunner, Cantor at Temple Beth El Salinas, Salinas, 93901
- Jennifer Chae, Elementary School teacher in PVUSD, Santa Cruz, 95065
- Tenzin Chogkyi, Senior Teacher, Insight Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, 95060
- LaVerne Coleman, Program Director (ret), WomenCARE Cancer Advocacy, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Terra Collier-Young, Five Seeds Ministry, Aptos, 95001
- Deacon Patrick Conway, Pastoral Associate, Resurrection Church, Aptos, 95003
- Justin Cummings, County Supervisor, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Gerri Dayharsh, Co-Clerk, Santa Cruz Friends Meeting (Quakers), Ben Lomond, 95005
- Laura Davis, Author and Teacher, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Damian Delezene, Owner, Aptos Feed & Pet Supply, Aptos, 95003
- Coleen Douglas, Redwood Experience Guide and Community Singer, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Mimi Edgar, Friends Committee on National Legislation Santa Cruz Advocacy Team, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
- Jenny Evans, Co-Leader, Indivisible Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Ellen Farmer, Author, Edible Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Lani Faulkner, Member, Democratic Central Committee, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Julia Feldman, Executive Director, Conflict Resolution Center, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Carolyn Brigit Flynn, Author and Teacher, Santa Cruz, 95062
- David Arthur Foster, Housing Activist, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Trudy Franzen, Pastor, Lutheran Community Church, Watsonville, 95076
- Peg Galli, Interfaith Network, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Rone (Ramana) Canyon Gasch, Psychological Associate, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Peter Gelblum, Chair, SCC Chapter ACLU of No. CA, Felton, 95006
- Nancy Miller Gomez, Poet Laureate of Santa Cruz County 2025, Soquel, 95073
- Rachel Goodman, Board Chair, KSQD Radio, Santa Cruz, 95060
- S. Shasta Greene, Esq., Santa Cruz, 95060
- Nashwan Hamza, President, Arab American Club of Monterey County, Monterey, CA 93940
- Callia Hansen, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Bob Hansen, Former UCSC Men’s Tennis Coach, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Amanda Harris-Altice, Co-leader, Indivisible Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Rev. Elisha-Christopher Hayden, Spiritual Director, Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Marcia Heath, Lead Educator in Movement and Dance, Founder of BodyWise, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Nancy Heischman, Dir, Conflict Resolution Services, UCSC (ret), Aptos, 95003
- Ava Homa, Author, Pacific Grove, 93950
- Faye Johnson, Indivisible CA State Strong Liaison, San Lorenzo Valley, 95033
- Rhonda Johnson, Leader, Swing Left Santa Cruz, Soquel, 95073
- Paul Johnston, Interfaith Network, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Kirsten Juel, LCSW Psychotherapist, Felton, 95108
- Alison Kerr, Mayor, Del Rey Oaks, 2018 – 2022, Del Rey Oaks, 93940
- Laurie R. King, Bestselling author, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Manu Koenig, Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Cathy Krizik, President, Board of Trustees, Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Carolyn Krueger, Co-Chair, Central Coast Antiwar Coalition, Morro Bay, 93442
- Jan Landry, (ret) Santa Cruz Hospice, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Don Lane, Former Mayor, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Regina Langhout, PhD, UCSC Professor, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Robert Levering, Documentary Filmmaker, Author, Ben Lomond, 95005
- Alesa Lightbourne, PhD, Author, Fmr Dean, S P Jain School of Global Mgmt, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Rick Longinotti, Co-Founder, Non-Violent Communication, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Dr. Ann Lopez, Executive Director, Center for Farmworker Families, Felton, 95018
- Lois MacGillivray, Sister of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Rabbi Chel Mandell, Tzimtzum Community, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Dr. Margo McBane, PhD, History, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Rev. Anne McNelly, Pastor, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Aptos, 95003
- Kelly Menehan, Co-leader, Indivisible Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Rev. Tamara Merrill, Minister, Center for Spiritual Living Santa Cruz, Aptos, 95003
- Ami Chen Mills-Naim, Member, Dem Central Committee, District 3, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Bill Monning, State Senator Emeritus, Carmel, 93921
- Diego Navarro, Founder, Academy for College Excellence, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Scott Newman, Assoc. Pastor, Santa Cruz Bible Church, Santa Cruz, 95062
- MaryEllen Olson, Social Worker, Watsonville, 95076
- David Pattee, Pastor, Peace United Church, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Gary Patton, Former Santa Cruz County Supervisor, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Mark Peake, Reverend at First Presbyterian Church, Monterey, 93940
- Judy Phillips, Retired Realtor/Writer, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Dan Phillips, Retired Professor/Writer, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Douglas Pillsbury, Co-Chair, Central Coast Anti Oppression Community, San Luis Obispo, 93401
- Ron Pomerantz, Board Member, ACLU, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Donna Pulling, Unitarian Universalist Anti-Oppression Community, San Luis Obispo, 93401
- Fred Risser, M.D. Psychiatry, retired, Santa Cruz, 95065
- Graeme Robertson, Rotary Club of Carmel, Carmel, 93923
- Glenn Robinson, Sr Fellow, Middlebury Inst for Intl Studies, Author, Lecturer, Pebble Beach, 93953
- Dr. Robert Rocco, Physician, Salud Para La Gente, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Ivan Rosenblum, Pianist & Composer, Retired Professor, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Carolyn Davis Rudolph, Co-Owner, Charlie Hong Kong Restaurant, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Edith Ruiz, Educator & Treasurer of Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers, Watsonville, 95076
- Stan Rushworth, Faculty Emeritus, Cabrillo College, La Selva Beach, 95076
- Meg Sandow, Psy.D, Retired Psychologist, County of Santa Cruz, Felton, 95018
- Chaim Schneider, Rabbi, Aptos, 95003
- Ella Schwab, Educator, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Ata Shaheen, Reporter, KION News, Salinas, 93901
- Kim Shirley, Del Rey Oaks City Councilmember and Educator, Del Rey Oaks, 93940
- James Silva, Lompoc & Central Coast Antiwar Coalition, San Luis Obispo, 93401
- Dr. Mackenzie Steiner, Clinical Psychologist, Nature’s Mosaic Psychotherapy, Felton, 95018
- David Sullivan, Professor of English, Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, 95062
- Gina Athena Ulysse, PhD, Professor, UCSC, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Patrice Vecchione, Author and Educator, Del Rey Oaks, 93940
- Jane Weed, SC Mayor Emeritus, Founder, Positive Discipline Comm Resources, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Christine Winge, Community activist, Monterey, 93940
- Noreen Winkler, Co-Clerk, Santa Cruz Friends Meeting (Quakers), Santa Cruz, 95060
- Nancy Wood, Bestselling Mystery Author, Santa Cruz, 95060
- Nico Wright, Director, Quaker Center, Ben Lomond, 95005
- Gary Young, Director, Cowell Press, UCSC, Santa Cruz, 95069
- Rick Yramategui, Minister, Carmel Valley Community Chapel, Carmel Valley, 93924