GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — According to Salud America, one in 10 Black and Latinx families struggle with food insecurity.
They say before 2020, more than 14 million American households struggled with limited access to healthy nutritious food, and it's a problem made worse by the pandemic.
The Hispanic Center of Western Michigan is trying to change that by providing resources to families.
A lot of people were laid off during the pandemic. This accelerated food insecurity for a lot of individuals and families. Food drives increased significantly and continue two years later.
The Hispanic Center of Western Michigan is using the food drives to not only distribute food but also to teach about healthy eating habits.
The organization had food drives weekly, but now that number has dwindled to once a month. Everyone is welcome to the drive-thru that provides healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.
The organization also offers a three-week program that teaches people healthy food recipes with cooking demonstrations and shopping for healthy food at a grocery store on a budget.
"It doesn't have to be with a lot of oil, which is like, you know, I know that is what gives the flavor sometimes, but we have created programs that teach the moms in the community, like, you know what, this is a healthy plate, this is what that looks like and let's cook together," said Communications Coordinator Elizabeth Hickel.
There is a food distribution scheduled for Tuesday, May 24. For more information on the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, click here.
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