Keeping Our Essential Workers Healthy

Leobardo López

For many people, staying healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic is accomplished by social distancing and working from home. But what about essential workers who can’t stay home — people who have to keep working in order to keep food on their family’s table? This is what Leobardo López and Alma Hernandez are currently facing.

Our Nourish the Community team is working hard to keep low-income Latinx families and essential workers healthy during the current health crisis.

Alma Hernandez working at a nursery.

Leobardo López delivering edible plants starts to a supermarket.

Leonardo delivers edible plant starts to supermarkets and Alma works at a nursery.

As people stay home and access to fresh foods becomes more challenging, there has been a resurgence of home gardening — much like the Victory Garden movement during World War I and II when people were encouraged by the government to plant gardens to supplement their rations and boost morale.

Leobardo and Alma continue to work hard to supply grocery stores with plant starts so that families can grow their own food. As essential workers, they don't have the luxury of staying home, but they are grateful for steady work and the opportunity to help nourish their community.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, Leobardo and Alma became participants in our Produce RX initiative, which benefits families who are advised by their doctors to change their way of eating by incorporating more fruits and vegetables.

Produce RX provides families with vouchers for fresh produce at the Forest Grove Farmers Market, cooking classes, and group discussions about health that are facilitated in Spanish. It’s a support network that is improving the health of many Latinx families in Oregon — a vital component of keeping immune systems strong during a health crisis like COVID-19, especially for essential workers like Leobardo and Alma.

Produce RX helped Leobardo and Alma build a healthy foundation before the COVID-19 outbreak began, and Adelante Mujeres staff continue to check in regularly with participants, like Leobardo and Alma, to connect them with resources, be a listening ear, advocate for their needs and also share their stories of leadership and resiliency during these difficult times. In addition to operating our ten programs virtually, we are doing everything we can to provide critical support to families as they face this pandemic.

Together, we can continue to support Latinx families and our essential workers. Adelante Mujeres will continue to provide resources that keep families healthy, because everyone deserves to live a healthy life before, during, and after this pandemic. We won’t stop fighting until every family is thriving.