After immigration raids in Kern County and Los Angeles, many immigrant families fear leaving home making it harder to access basic services like food. Building Healthy Community, a Kern County non-profit, has delivered 2,446 food boxes to families with the support of community partners.
Liz Palencia, program coordinator for BHC, spoke with South Kern Sol News about the lasting effects that the January raids had on the local community, explaining that many community members are still scared to go to work, drop their kids off at school or leave home at all.
With support from Community Action Partnership of Kern’s food bank, they have been able to work together in order to collect food from the food bank, assemble food boxes and then distribute them into the hands that have been directly impacted by the immigration situations.
“This is our way to help alleviate some stress. We know missing work may imply missing out on some money and that could imply missing some money for food on the table, and if we can help ease the stress of that we will,” said Palencia.
Food boxes are distributed to families across Bakersfield, Wasco, McFarland, Buttonwillow, Shafter, Delano, Arvin, Lamont and T aft. Most boxes are delivered directly to people’s doorsteps. In other cases, boxes are distributed at safe locations closer to home.
Palencia also explained that the effort serves as a way to share vital information with the community.
Each food box includes Know Your Rights cards, family preparedness plans from the United Farm Workers Foundation, and resources to connect with the Rapid Response Network of Kern, a volunteer-led group that supports immigrant rights by verifying ICE activity, offering legal assistance, accompanying individuals to ICE check-ins, and more.
Palencia explained that “trusted messengers,” nonprofit leaders and community members, are able to inform those who need food as they work closely with immigrant families and can identify those most in need.“We know how many boxes will be needed, we go to CAPK to pick up what we can, assemble the boxes, and have them distributed to those families. It’s really become a unique food distribution assembly line,” said Palencia.
This initiative is made possible with the support of CapK Food Bank, Palencia wrote. She explained that they have been relying on non-profit organizations and community leaders who have a “good intuition of who these impacted families are” in order to support and distribute to those in need.
“At CAPK, our focus is on addressing food insecurity wherever we see need. We partner with a wide range of organizations across Kern County to ensure individuals and families have access to nutritious food,” wrote Ernesto Leon, Senior Communications Coordinator.
