Hispanic Heritage Month: “It Couldn’t Be Just One of Us”
Feeding children and their families across Southern California during the Pandemic
The Latino community is celebrated for its diversity, representing more than 62 million strong across the United States. From various origins, races and ideas, to languages, religions and cuisine. Latinos contribute to every aspect of American life. Whether they identify as Afro-Latinos, Chicanos, multiracial, indigena, LGBTQIA+, there is a shared love of identity, community, and continuously inspiring a passion for more- Latinidad!
The love of family is a bedrock value for Latinos. It’s in the context of family we learn about the importance of caring and supporting one another. This love of family translates into a sense of duty towards ensuring every child has access to the meals they need to realize their full potential.
That’s why this year No Kid Hungry is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with the theme “Unity in Love for Family.”
For Salvador Ramirez, when schools and businesses were shut down due to the pandemic, he realized he needed to do something good for the community.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former El Monte Union High School Board member, Ramirez sprang into action and started asking around – looking for space, food, and volunteers. Not exactly knowing what their team would get or how much, “but whatever we got, we were going to give it out to the community,” he shared. “I’ve been an elected official in the past, so I understood my community quite well. I knew the demographics and where the need was. We wanted to get out into the community, so I asked organizations if we could use their parking lots, if businesses can donate food or other household supplies.”
“All it takes is an idea and to ask around.”
By asking around, one partnership at a time, Ramirez was able to build his operations to distribute as much 27 pounds worth of food for a family. Each distribution was never the same, but typically had a gallon of milk, a whole chicken, a sack of potatoes, rice, beans, vegetables and fruits.
“Our first distribution in Pico Rivera, we gave out food to over 1,000 families. It was a huge success,” Ramirez explained. “I was able to take this model to other cities in the San Gabriel Valley and Inland Empire, whether it was a church, a park, a large parking lot, it was enough for us to operate a distribution site.”
“We did one in Ontario alongside a toy giveaway during the holiday season,” he remembered. “The toy part had a lot of volunteers handing out toys, but for the food part, I just had six volunteers. Believe me, we were exhausted by the end of that day.”
In the last two years, Ramirez organized 18 emergency food distribution events across multiple cities in the Greater Los Angeles area including Pomona, El Monte, Covina, Azusa, and Baldwin Park. What was common at all 18 sites was families either did not have enough food especially in multi-family homes, could not afford food because many were out of work, or did not have access to transportation, Ramirez recounted.
In doing all of this, Ramirez learned to be more empathetic. “I think I had compassion but even more, I learned about practicing compassion. Having the chance for one-on-one interactions, you don’t realize that many families are very much in need and how different those needs can be.”
With No Kid Hungry support, Ramirez was able to think not only bigger but sustainable. Ramirez brainstormed with No Kid Hungry program manager Andrea Cuellar and found the need for equipment like a forklift, traffic cones, outreach and marketing materials.
“We got more and more efficient with the implementation and moving it all around the region. We were able to better serve and reach children and their families because of the grant and advice,” he shared.
Not every food distribution was identical. Ramirez is grateful for the grace and generosity he received from volunteers, sponsors, local leaders, and businesses. Together, they impacted over 2,000 families.
“During this time, it was a collective effort. It couldn’t be just one of us.”
Let this Hispanic Heritage Month be a celebration of the strength and resiliency of leaders like Salvador Ramirez and his team of hunger heroes, working tirelessly to ensure that all kids have the food to power their dreams.