Grey Bears

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the Grand Opening of the Grey Bears Book Den at the Capitola Mall, and the turnout was amazing! Thank you to everyone who came out and showed your support. 🐻💛

If you haven’t visited yet, now’s the perfect time! Every purchase helps support Grey Bears’ mission of feeding seniors in our community while giving books and other treasures a second life. 💙

📍 Capitola Mall, 1855 41st Ave, Capitola, CA
🕒 Monday 12 - 5, Tuesday 11-5, Wednesday 11-6, Thursday 11-6, Friday 11-6, Saturday 11-6, Sunday 11-6

We gladly accept donations of books, DVDs, CDs, games, and puzzles during store hours. Have a larger donation?

We can schedule a pickup! Simply email [email protected] to arrange a convenient time.

Come shop, donate, and help support local seniors! 📖♻️🥫

A few weeks ago Grey Bears was honored to receive the Be the Difference Award, hosted by the Volunteer Center of Santa Cruz County and Santa Cruz Community Credit Union. 💙

We were one of 10 nonprofits and businesses recognized with this award, and we are especially honored to have been nominated by Jane, a dedicated Grey Bears volunteer.

Together, with the support of our volunteers, we are making a positive difference in the community.

The Grey Bears community is made up of people from all walks of life who come together to support our mission of nourishing seniors across Santa Cruz County. 💛

Our team recently spotted this piece of artwork displayed on the bulletin board in our Healthy Food Warehouse. Not only did it bring a smile to our faces, but it also beautifully captures the heart of Grey Bears: people coming together around food and helping distribute it to neighbors in our community who need it most. 🍎

Thank you, Jeff Caplan, for not only creating this beautiful piece of art, but also for believing in our mission and helping us fulfill it through your dedication as a volunteer.

🚧 Important Notice 🚧

Due to street paving , there will be no vehicle access to Grey Bears, Weds., June 17.

Thank you for your patience and understanding! 💚

Tomorrow is Grey Bears’ Second Saturday Sale! 🛍️

Looking for a great deal and a way to give back? Stop by Grey Bears and check out our Second Saturday Sale, where everything is 50% off! 🏷️

Your purchases help divert reusable items from our landfills while supporting our Healthy Food Program, which feeds over 6,000 seniors in our community every week!

Shop smart, support local seniors, and help the planet, one purchase at a time! ♻️🛍️💙

Meet Jade, the creative heart behind the beautiful flower arrangements you see throughout Grey Bears🌸💚

From the thrift shop to the lunchroom, the thoughtful floral touches tucked into vases, coffee pots, and cozy corners are all thanks to Jade’s creativity and care. A volunteer of five years, Jade began in the bookstore, later helped in the thrift store, and eventually created her own special role as Grey Bears’ flower arrangement specialist.

Using donated flowers from local markets and farms, Jade carefully selects blooms and transforms them into stunning arrangements that brighten our spaces and community events alike, from mixers to holiday gatherings and everything in between. 🌼✨

For Jade, flower arranging is more than a creative outlet, it’s a source of joy and connection. Living with Parkinsons Disease, she shared that arranging flowers allows her to continue expressing herself and bringing happiness to others.

“Flowers are kind of silent messengers of hope… they bloom and they die and then they return again and bloom.” 🌷

A therapist by trade, Jade also treasures the strong sense of community at Grey Bears, describing it as “a whole cast of characters that make up our big, quirky family.”

Thank you, Jade, for sharing your creativity, kindness, and beauty with all of us. 💐

Calling All Bears! 🐻

Join Grey Bears on Thursday, June 11, for an engaging presentation on how we can keep our minds sharp and stay mentally active as we age

📍 Where: Grey Bears Healthy Food Warehouse
2710 Chanticleer Avenue

🕝 When: 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Come learn practical tips for supporting brain health, connect with others in the community, and enjoy an informative afternoon.

RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/BBHHGREYBEARS

We look forward to seeing you there!

📚✂️ Grey Bears is excited to welcome the community to our ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Grey Bears Book Den this Saturday, May 30th!

We’re thrilled to celebrate this new chapter with all of you. Join us as we mark this special milestone together! 💛📖

At Grey Bears, we’re always looking for ways to keep items out of landfills and in the hands and homes of people in our community. 🩵

A few years ago, Holly, a NICU nurse found a special way to give new life to “Beanie Babies” which are small plush animals, popularized in the mid 90s as collectibles. Holly connected with our thrift store volunteers and let them know that Beanie Babies, these once-loved toys could serve a meaningful purpose: helping hold tiny bottles in place to feed premature babies in the NICU. 🐣

Fun fact, Beanie Babies unlike other stuffed animals are under stuffed on purpose, making it easier to pose them and keep them in a set position, making them the perfect baby bottle holding assistant. 🍼

Although we don’t typically take toy donations, our volunteers now know to collect and hold the Beanie Babies that sneak in for Holly to pick up and deliver to local hospitals.

It’s a beautiful reminder that generosity can travel in unexpected directions. What may seem like a nostalgic keepsake for some can become a practical, comforting tool in a hospital setting. 💝

What started as a community fundraiser for a “new-to-us” truck turned into something even more meaningful. 💝

Because of your generosity, Grey Bears was able to purchase a reliable truck to continue serving seniors across Santa Cruz County. Along the way, we also met Val — a volunteer whose kindness, expertise, and heart have made an incredible impact on our organization. 🚚

After discovering Grey Bears while attending medical appointments at a nearby hospital, Val stopped in for lunch and found more than a meal: he found connection and community. Since then, he has become our volunteer vehicle consultant, leveraging his mechanical skills to help Grey Bears manage our fleet. 💝

Val quickly noticed issues across our fleet, including leaks, underinflated tires, and ongoing maintenance challenges, and immediately got to work. He guided us on improving the functionality and longevity of our trucks and forklifts, helping ensure our vehicles remain safe and reliable. 🛠️

Over the past few months, Val has saved Grey Bears thousands of dollars in repairs by doing work himself and connecting us with trusted mechanics and tradespeople from his network.

When it came time to purchase the new truck, Val played a key role — offering guidance on what to look for, what to avoid, and even traveling to the East Bay to inspect a vehicle on our behalf. Thanks to Val, Grey Bears was able to make a smart purchase that met both our budget and our need for a dependable vehicle.

Despite living with a terminal illness, Val continues to give his time to others with positivity and compassion, reminding us all that “every day is a good day.” 🌞

We are endlessly grateful for supporters like Val and for every member of our community who helps make our mission possible. Together, we’re able to provide food, connection, and care to seniors in our community. 🩵