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As Pandemic Eases, Children's Advocates Worry Food Assistance Will Dwindle — Leaving Kids Hungry

Photo: Jhon David
Photo: Jhon David

A statewide organization representing farmworkers is raising alarms about food insecurity among Latino Floridians.

Arturo Lopez is executive director of the Coalition of Florida Farmworker Organizations — based in Homestead.
"Now that the pandemic is kind of easing up, we see that the resources are now going back, going back. And pretty soon, we're going to not have any of the resources that are trying to feed families." Lopez is hoping for a federal policy change that would make undocumented children eligible for SNAP benefits — sometimes called food stamps. He says sometimes his group helps families apply for assistance where some of the family members are citizens and some are undocumented. Like a family with three children: "One of them was born here. The other two weren't, so that that family only gets food stamps for that one child. I really think that regardless of the status of the children, they should be eligible." Lopez said the group also advocated for a bill in the Florida Legislature that would have reimbursed nonprofits that help people sign up for food benefits. It died in committee during this year's session.

Danielle Prieur is WMFE's education reporter.