Photo: Araceli Martínez Ortega / Impremedia
The Federation of Zacatecan Clubs of Southern California brought Christmas to the City Terrace neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles with hundreds of gifts in the form of food pantries.
Neighbors from different parts of Los Angeles who found out that they distributed groceries, lined up from 8 in the morning to receive their groceries around noon .
From South Los Angeles, Lidia Alemán drove to City Terrace accompanied by her children Christopher and Perla to take her groceries.
“As everything is Critical with increases in gasoline, food and rent, I like this pantry wonderfully”, said Lidia, who works as a babysitter.
“Someone told me that today they were going to distribute groceries, and I didn’t mind coming here.”
Lidia took a bag loaded with chicken and fresh cheese; vegetables like carrots and potatoes; fruits such as oranges, tangerines and lemons; and bags of pasta, juices and cans containing vegetables; and even a pack of masks to protect against covid.
“I already have food for at least three days,” Lidia said happily.
Guadalupe Gómez, president of the Federation of Zacatecano Clubs of Southern California, said that since March of 2048, when the pandemic began, they have delivered groceries week after week, but this Saturday they had a special delivery for Christmas.
“We deliver 576 pantries after making an alliance with the organization 
Christmas in the Neighborhood 
and the Cacique Foundation headed by Mrs. Ana de Cárdenas”.
He pointed out that although the pandemic is already half controlled, with the support of food banks including Food of Compassion of Montebello have continued to hand out pantries twice per month, one Thursday every other Thursday, because as a result of inflation and the increase in gasoline, all prices went up.
Y recalled an anecdote that illustrates the need for food in certain sectors of the population of Los Angeles.
“The first time we made a distribution from pantries, at the end when we had distributed everything, a man from Zacatecas came and asked me if he could take a watermelon that had been left over there. When I went to check it, I realized that part of the watermelon was rotten.”
The Zacatecan leader remembers that the man told him that he loved her that way .
“Something can be saved, he told me.”
This shows us that even in the richest country in the world, there is great need and hunger.
“And explain why in an hour and a half, we run out of groceries.”
He also recalled another anecdote that occurred during the months that they distributed milk to families during the height of the health crisis caused by covid.
“When the program ended, a grandmother came with her stroller, and there was no milk, but they gave her food, and she brought about three little grandchildren. When they were leaving, the children began to pull her, saying ‘granny, granny, we forgot the milk.’ These scenes, which reflect the need for food in the community, encourage us to continue seeking support to continue distributing groceries”.
But it also encourages them to see the enthusiasm of the volunteers who participate in the monthly distribution after month.
“This is the first time that even our queens from Zacatecas, Megan Gómez and Joanna Domínguez join the food delivery.”
Dozens of volunteers joined the last distribution of pantries of the year of the Federation of Zacatecan Clubs. Maricruz Arellano from Club Deportivo Jomulquillo de Jerez, Zacatecas was one of the most active volunteers.
Adriana Robles, a mother with her baby came from the city of Alhambra for her pantry. “I need help, that’s why I came here when a friend told me.”
Gómez called on Mexican clubs to organize and join forces to distribute food to the community.
“The Federation of Zacatecano Clubs complied 50 years this year, and we are here to support our clubs in continuing to help their home communities already the local community with college scholarships, education programs, and food distribution.”
Marisela García left happy with her bag of food. “They don’t know how much it’s going to help me. God bless you!” she exclaimed gratefully.