Centro del Pueblo supports Latinx community amid COVID-19 outbreak
Taking into consideration the needs of the local Latinx community, Centro Del Pueblo, a local grassroots organization, held a virtual town hall meeting on April 3 where members of the community expressed their concern about the lack of information available to Spanish speaking families in Humboldt county.
Currently, there are no Spanish television channels in Humboldt county and only one Spanish radio channel.
“As someone who had to leave Michoacan because of violence, to come here and see the hardship in this community, it gives me courage,” Brenda Perez, a key organizer for Centro del Pueblo said.
For Centro del Pueblo, it is imperative to help the undocumented families in the local community who will not be eligible for a federal relief check, cannot file for unemployment and as a volunteer pointed out, are generally afraid of seeking help due to the unfairness associated with their legal status.
So far, the organization has raised almost $5,000 on GoFundMe for undocumented families who will not be getting a relief check. They delivered packages to seven Fortuna families from Mexico on April 12.
Packages included hand sanitizer, food, and flyers in Spanish with information about free food resources, renters relief, mental health and the legal rights of undocumented people.
“I owe the source of all my dreams to my Latin American culture and its people. It is their light which gets me through tough times of tears and allows me to feel sentiments of beauty not translatable in English.”
–Octavio Acosta, Centro del Pueblo volunteer
There are also plans in place to deliver more of these care packages to the Spanish speaking community living in RV and trailer parks in Eureka. The Facebook page, Centro del Pueblo, is regularly updated with useful information for the Latinx community.
Centro del Pueblo hopes to let the community of undocumented immigrants know that although they may not have the support of the government, they have the strength of their families and the local community.
“I owe the source of all my dreams to my Latin American culture and its people. It is their light which gets me through tough times of tears and allows me to feel sentiments of beauty not translatable in English,” Octavio Acosta said, a volunteer with Centro del Pueblo.
It is this endearment for the Latinx community that keeps him and many others involved in the empowerment of Indigenous immigrant communities.
Perez recalls living firsthand the necessities of being an immigrant in this country and understands the worry that many Spanish speaking families feel as they are left in the dark without information.
“These people are not the same ones I experienced fighting against violence in Mexico, but they have become that for me,” Perez said.
With all the fear and uncertainty in the local communities, Centro del Pueblo marches on.
“Be careful,” Perez said as she and many others continue to support the Latinx community, “Better times will come.”
More Centro del Pueblo resources
- Watch this CDP-produced Spanish video (3 minutes) about preventative measures for COVID-19.
- Spanish speakers can use this Google form found on cdpueblo.com to receive support from volunteers for things like food delivery, disinfectant etc.
- Visit their Facebook page “Centro del Pueblo,” for more information about local food banks and important events/current resources for the local community
- Listen to Radio Centro, a Spanish radio, show every Tuesday & Thursday at 7 a.m, Wednesdays at 2 p.m, and Saturday & Sundays at 1 p.m. on KZZH 96.7 FM.
- Use the model renters relief letter
- Donate to the online fundraiser for undocumented families. More CDP sponsored fundraisers will be coming after the goal is reached.
More information can be found on Centro del Pueblo’s website www.cdpueblo.com, by emailing cdphumboldt@gmail.com or visiting www.facebook.com/centrodelpueblo/
