With the holiday season getting underway our thoughts often turn to family and, yes, bringing relief to those in need. The reality is that far too many families across our region and nation continue to struggle to afford basic necessities such as food. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that Latino rates of food insecurity are higher than national rates and that Latino children are especially at risk of hunger compared with their peers.
Hispanic Federation launched the Lucha Contra el Hambre initiative six years ago in order to raise awareness of the food insecurity crisis in our communities and to provide direct relief to families through our network of member agencies. Last month, we announced an expansion of the program. Thanks to support from the Ford Motor Company Fund, the Walmart Foundation, Bank of America and other partners, we’re coordinating hunger relief efforts in 5 states this year: New York, Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Our goal is to distribute at least 460,000 meals to Latino families across these five states.
“There are so many challenges facing our community,” said HF Senior Vice President Frankie Miranda, “that we often overlook hunger and food insecurity. But the truth is that the impact of hunger in our communities is too devastating to ignore. When we launched this program six years ago it was in response to the economic devastation caused by the Great Recession. The economy has certainly improved but the growing inequality in the nation is all too visible in the nation’s refrigerators, pantries, and kitchen tables. Our effort through Lucha Contra el Hambre is important and valuable but we really need a national food security policy that provides a comprehensive strategy to tackle this problem.”
If you’re interested in organizing a food drive or learning how you can help us help even more vulnerable families, please contact Diana Caba, Director of Economic Empowerment at 1-866-HF AYUDA (866-432-9832). Follow and share information about the campaign on Twitter and Facebook #LuchaContraElHambre
