No Kid Hungry and UnidosUS Join Forces to Break Down Barriers to Connect Latino Families to SNAP
The organizations kick off a culturally responsive campaign to demystify SNAP eligibility among Latino families
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- No Kid Hungry, a national campaign by Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty, and UnidosUS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, announced today during a virtual Town Hall a new partnership to promote accurate information among eligible Latino families about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The partnership consists of a comprehensive awareness campaign and the strengthening of UnidosUS' Comprando Rico y Sano program, a community health worker led initiative to promote SNAP enrollment and healthy eating.
More than 62 million Latinos live and work in the United States, contributing $2.7 trillion to the economy. And although Latinos have kept businesses running and Americans fed throughout the height of the pandemic, they continue to experience disproportionate impacts of the crisis, including food insecurity. SNAP is available to help put food on the table for families during challenging times; however, misinformation, cultural, linguistic, and structural barriers, including the chilling effect of the now repealed Public Charge rule, continue to keep many hard-working Latino families experiencing hardships from accessing these vital programs. It's estimated that more than 4 million eligible Latinos are not enrolled in SNAP, in spite of the fact that more than 1 in 5 Latino families with children faced hunger in 2020, a 28% rise from 2019.
"We're thrilled to launch this important campaign in partnership with No Kid Hungry, far too many Latino families are not aware of this essential benefit. By promoting the SNAP program to eligible Latino families and their children we help ensure healthier, stronger communities for everyone and that no one goes to bed hungry each night," said Rita Carreón, Vice President for Health at UnidosUS. "Our nation's social and economic success depends on the stability, vibrancy, and health of every person. SNAP plays a vital role in helping nearly 40 million Americans?including 6.5 million Latinos?put food on the table every day."
The new multi-market campaign launched today by UnidosUS and No Kid Hungry will help address some of these barriers, with messages in Spanish and English that provide accurate information about SNAP eligibility and benefits. The campaign will include a strong digital and radio push, two popular sources of information for the Latino community. The effort will also leverage digital assets for affiliates and community partners via a digital toolkit, and outreach to media in target states, including Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada and Texas. The need for greater awareness was informed by the findings of a recent survey which revealed that the majority of Latinos in mixed- status families remain unaware the public charge policy has been reversed and are wary of using critical programs for which they or their children qualify.
"Food is a basic human need and programs like SNAP ensure families going through tough times have equitable access to this fundamental right," said Lisa Davis, Senior Vice President at Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. "We are committed to working in solidarity with trusted partners like UnidosUS to break down the barriers that stand in the way of Latino families and children having access to the nutrition we all need to thrive."
In addition to the multi-platform awareness campaign, this partnership will expand the structure, capacities and activities for the UnidosUS Comprando Rico y Sano (Buying Healthy and Flavorful Foods) program. The goal is to strengthen the program to reach more Latino families through community health workers led nutritional education sessions, grocery store tours, cooking demonstrations, and other hands-on activities to promote health-conscious shopping and cost-saving strategies, as well as enroll eligible Latinos into SNAP.
SOURCE No Kid Hungry and UnidosUS
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