BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Volunteers with Building Healthy Communities have gathered to make food boxes for local families that may be too scared to leave their homes following recent immigration raids across the country.
- Organizers say this isn’t the first time they’ve done something like this.
- Delivering food back in January when boarder patrol was spotted throughout areas of the county.
- In order to reach as many families as possible, volunteers were split into different sections. A group was stationed outside a home in Bakersfield for pickups, another group made its way to McFarland, and a third group making personal home runs for people too scared to leave their homes.
With immigration raids still ongoing throughout the country and rumors circling of ICE agents being in Kern County, many undocumented families have become too scared to leave their homes to even pick up groceries. It's because of this that a group of volunteers have decided to bring the necessities right to their front doors.
Giving thanks was a common theme for those receiving some much needed help.
"It's a real stress relief,” said one recipient who had a box of food delivered right to their front door.
Concealing their identity out of respect for their family, she tells me the delivery does more than ensure food for the week.
“We don't have to go out and about and look for churches for how they are donating food and two it’s more convenient and its really kind,” said the recipient.
With the highly publicized immigration raids happening, some families are afraid to go out, they're afraid of being stopped by ICE agents. So, volunteers with Building Healthy Communities are stepping in to help, picking up of food from the CAP-K warehouse, making boxes, and delivering it to them.
"Yeah, we’re really thinking about our communities and thinking about their meals right a full meal. So, we've already gathered some tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, fresh zucchini and squash and we've also collected some eggs, now we've found some pasta."
Program coordinator for Building Healthy Communities Liz Palencia says in order to reach as many families as possible, volunteers split into different sections.
Some stationed outside a home in Bakersfield for pickups, another group made its way to McFarland, and a third group making personal home runs for people too scared to leave their homes.
Volunteer Yuriria Lopez tells me being a farmworker herself, she can relate to the ongoing fear, but she puts herself in others shoes with the goal of easing some stress off families
"If you don't have food, imagine the stress the pain that you might have because you don't have any food for your kids because you're scared of even going to the corner store right outside your house. That’s our motivation, to be able to bring even a small grain of hope,” said Lopez.
The organization says events like these are scheduled based off necessity, for information on how to receive a box or to become a volunteer, reach out to them through their Instagram, @bhc
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