For more than a year when the Covid pandemic broke out – 19, the Pasadena Day Labor Center has not stopped delivering food pantries not only to day laborers but to the entire community that has been affected by lack of income.
The groceries, at no cost, have allowed the families of the day laborers to put food on their table, in times when employment collapsed due to the economic crisis that brought the paralysis of activities.
“ It has helped me a lot because the work dropped by half. These pantries allowed us to ensure food, especially because with our children at home, the demand for food increased a lot ”, says Juan Manuel Domínguez, who makes his living as a day laborer.
Explains that with the food provided by the Pasadena Day Laborer Center, he saves money that he invests in paying other bills.
Ramiro Vega, who has been a day laborer for 25 years, he says the pantries have been very helpful. “You just go to the supermarket to bring what you need, but they are a great savings.”
Nancy Torres, director of the Pasadena Day Labor Center, says that the Food pantries emerged as a response to the need of workers that arose, as the pandemic began last year and employment fell.
“ We delivered them twice a month; and yes we can, we give them once a week. For large families, we double the portion of food ”, he specifies.
The pantries carry milk, eggs, cheese, cream, yogurt, potatoes, celery, tomato, avocado, green, yellow and red bell pepper, garlic, onions and spinach, mango, banana, apples, oranges and tangerines.
As well as a bag with basic grains such as rice, beans, lentils; and also oats, sugar, oil; and sometimes milk powder.
What difference do they make in the life of Workers?
Torres says that because the Latino community has been greatly affected by the coronavirus and unemployment, people who have benefited have told them that food pantries are a great blessing.
“Many have lost their jobs and do not have the privilege of support from the government. Some of them, when they have no longer been able to pay the rent, the only solution they have found is to live several families in a single house. We have a lady, whose family lives with two other families in a two-bedroom house. Up to If they get sick, they have no way to quarantine themselves. ”
So at least, the pantries give them the opportunity to have safe food.
To In order to provide food for day laborers and the community, the Pasadena Day Laborer Center receives donations from the City of Pasadena and the Grocery Outlet supermarket that also gives them discounts to buy food that they add to the pantry. They are also supported by the churches, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank and the Pasadena Community Foundation.
“What we are also trying to do is include products that Latinos consume.”
The director of the Center for Day Laborers specifies that at least they distribute between 350 and 400 food baskets every month . “In December we distributed 2, 000”.
And he emphasizes that food donations are open to the entire community, they are not just for day laborers. “We have had people come all the way from South Gate for their food supplies. They tell us that where they live, the need is greater and when they arrive at the food places, they are no longer enough. ”
The only requirement they ask for is a proof of address, because it is required by the government.
Torres makes it seem that the food package is quite complete and has a value of approximately $ 175. “An amount that day laborers and families in need save and set aside for the payment of rent or other bills.”
He considers that the pantries that have been distributed since the pandemic began have definitely made a big difference in the lives of families. “We are proposing to give nutrition classes to the beneficiaries of the food to share recipes that they can prepare with the food we donate.”
Laura Facundo attended with her 6-year-old daughter and her son 14 years to collect a pantry at the Center for Day Laborers. “My husband is the only one who works in construction. So this pantry benefits us a lot. ”
For 6 months, Francisca Pontegreivi, an adult woman, has been at the Pasadena Day Laborer Center for her food. “It helps me a lot because in my house there are 5. This pantry lasts us a few 15 days. ”
The pantries are delivered on Friday mornings, every 15 days, at the Pasadena Day Labor Center located at number 500 N of Lake Avenue in the city of Pasadena. For more information about the pantries or to hire the services of a day laborer, you can call 626 – 440 – 0112.