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Home / Media / Latino Insights / June 2020

Donations to Hispanic Federation’s COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund allowed for more than $7 million in emergency relief to be delivered to over 100 individuals, over 550 small businesses and 166 nonprofit agencies in severely impacted communities. Aid to low-income families included direct cash assistance for basic needs like food and rent, assistance for COVID-19 testing and the protective measures, and to small businesses struggling during these times of economic stress marked by work furloughs and layoffs. Community-based organizations also received assistance to help them stay viable and continue serving those in need.

This assistance was critical because many immigrants were excluded from the COVID-19 relief packages passed by Congress and signed by the president. Hispanic Federation continues contacting public officials to demand equity in the disbursement of government funds for communities of color.

Below are some examples of the community-based work you are making possible with your support.

Visit our COVID-19 resource hub here.

Sustaining Essential Workers in Immigrants Communities

In North Carolina, 50% of Latino residents have lost their jobs, 74% do not have health insurance and many are not eligible for government relief programs. Your donations have made possible grants to organizations like Charlotte Bilingual Preschool that are working with immigrant families and children most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19:

  • 28 families are getting weekly food deliveries
  • 60 families received computers to engage in distance learning
  • 12 organizations throughout the state have been supported by your donations 
In the midst of government orders to stay at home, Hispanic Federation worked with nonprofits across the country to provide technical assistance and online English as a Second Language, citizenship and job readiness classes. Communities also received instructions on how to fill out the 2020 Census, which will be critical in determining which neighborhoods and cities receive federal funding for much-needed public services.

Direct Assistance Grants for Immigrant Communities

In White Plains, NY, where El Centro Hispano works with marginalized immigrant families facing high unemployment and increased health care needs, 962 children and adults received cash assistance, money that was used to keep roofs over their heads and food on their tables. El Centro’s virtual employment and housing referral initiative for those affected by COVID-19 has greatly benefited from Hispanic Federation donors.

Your donations to the Federation also helped 385 mothers who work in NYC but reside in White Plains and do not qualify for city-based relief programs nor for federal public assistance due to their immigration status. Many of these women are heads of households and serve as restaurant workers, caterers, domestic workers, landscapers and babysitters.

Feeding Latino Workers and Families

During the pandemic, Latino workers have been especially hard-hit because many have non-medical, essential jobs, work outside of home and are three times more likely than other populations to contract the disease. Many others in predominantly blue-collar jobs have been furloughed or terminated during the health crisis. In Central Florida and in New York City, Hispanic Federation’s Lucha Contra El Hambre initiative delivered over $100,000 worth of food to more than 12,000 individuals. Hispanic Federation is partnering with community leaders like Isaret in Plant City to ensure that farmworkers, the unemployed and essential workers in hard hit areas have food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch a video here to learn more about how your support is feeding Hipólito, José, Hilario, Bruno and other essential workers throughout Florida.
 
Hispanic Federation’s Lucha Contra El Hambre initiative was first launched in 2011 to address Latino food insecurity. Among those receiving aid from your donations was Bronx single mother Lucia, whose household includes four teenage children and a grandson just entering school. Because of our collective work, Lucia and hundreds of others like her, can supplement their low incomes with nutritious food for their families that are provided by our family of donors. During this trying time, your support is critical to feed our most vulnerable families.

Delivering Big Help to Small Businesses

Your donations enabled groups like Prospera, in Charlotte, N.C., to guide Cecilia Carrion through the PPP application and to work with her and her bank to process the application.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe economic loss across the country. Nearly 39 million people have been forced to claim unemployment benefits and millions of small business owners are in jeopardy of losing their businesses. In fact, a recent nationwide survey of small businesses showed that African American and Latino businesses are not only in danger of losing their businesses but have been disproportionately denied relief loans established for the pandemic. It also indicated that 45% of Black and Latino small business owners say they anticipate closing within six months due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In North Carolina, generous support from individuals like you helped Cecilia Carrion, the owner of a bookkeeping and insurance firm, stay in business. Like many other small business owners, Cecilia saw a decrease in demand for her services during the pandemic. She closed her office and transitioned to remote work and began to seek ways to keep her business afloat. Cecilia attempted to complete the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application but had difficulty with the application and the process. She sought assistance at Prospera, an economic development nonprofit specializing in bilingual assistance to Hispanic entrepreneurs who are trying to establish or expand their businesses. A grant from the Hispanic Federation, made possible through your donations, enabled the staff at Prospera to guide Cecilia through the PPP application and to work with her and her bank to process the application. Today, CCP Business Essentials, Cecilia’s company, and many others like it are staying afloat because of the assistance they are getting at Prospera. Assistance made possible by you.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Puerto Rico Coffee Revitalization Initiative

Migdalia Soto & Ricardo Ruiz are one of many families whose coffee farms were devastated by the 2017 Hurricane Maria. Through the Puerto Rico Coffee Revitalization Initiative, which is providing 2.5 million subsidized, high-quality coffee seedlings to impacted farmers, the industry is growing again.

 

In the wake of the hurricane, Migdalia and Ricardo took part-time jobs on larger, neighboring farms to gather resources for what they expected would be a three-year project to rebuild the family coffee farm in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. Then, the 2020 earthquakes struck, followed by COVID-19. Work on their farm turned a corner when they received 2,000 coffee seedlings from the Hispanic Federation at a greatly reduced price. The aid provided to this family and others is allowing Puerto Rico’s coffee farming industry to grow once again.

 

Watch a video about their farm.