Ford and Hispanic Federation Kick Off Fifth Year of the New York Hunger Relief Campaign

Ford Motor Company Fund and the Hispanic Federation have joined forces for the Lucha Contra El Hambre initiative to feed New York’s most underserved Latino communities

Lucha Contra El Hambre has provided more than 325,000 meals to needy families living in New York

Ford Fund participates in a wide range of hunger relief programs across the United States, and over the past six has served six million meals through a network of more than 50 mobile food pantry vehicles.

NEW YORK -- Oct. 23, 2015: Ford Motor Company Fund, in partnership with the Hispanic Federation, today launched a hunger-relief effort, Lucha Contra El Hambre, to boost food support to needy families at two food distribution events, the Puerto Rican Family Institute in Manhattan and Sure We Can in Brooklyn. More than 4,000 pounds of food will be distributed to provide an estimated 1,350 meals for families in those areas. Since its inception in 2011, Lucha Contra El Hambre has provided more than 325,000 meals to Latinos living in some of New York’s most underserved communities.

“Hispanic Federation is grateful for Ford Motor Company Fund’s pioneering commitment to fighting hunger in Latino neighborhoods across New York, and in Central Florida, where we have recently expanded our reach,” said José Calderón, president, Hispanic Federation. “Thanks to their generous support, we have been able to restock the food pantries at 13 of our nonprofit agencies and feed tens of thousands of Latino families each holiday season over the past five years.”

The annual Lucha Contra El Hambre initiative also includes the activation of an extensive food drive throughout New York neighborhoods during the holiday season. Central to this phase of the campaign is a Transit Connect van donated by Ford to the Hispanic Federation. The small cargo van, ideal for urban settings like New York City, provides the Hispanic Federation with greater mobility across the region. During the next five weeks, the van will stop at numerous different locations to pick up collected food.

“Food insecurity is a sad reality in our community,” said Joe Avila, community outreach manager, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Ford will continue to address this serious issue and is proud to strengthen our partnership with the Hispanic Federation to provide these much-needed meals to those who would otherwise go hungry.”

Ford Fund participates in a wide range of hunger relief programs across the United States, and over the past six has served six million meals through a network of more than 50 mobile food pantry vehicles. These vehicles enable food banks to collect food and grocery donations received from retail stores, farmers and manufacturers and get it to people facing hunger.

The New York effort is part of a wider participation by Ford Motor Company Fund and Ford to assist hunger-relief organizations serve millions of meals across the U.S. This year Lucha Contra El Hambre efforts included a food distribution event in Central Florida in response to the tens of thousands of families who have relocated there due to the economic crisis in Puerto Rico, and who are now facing food insecurities as they struggle to find jobs.

Thanks to the Lucha Contra El Hambre hunger relief initiative, the following Hispanic Federation partner agencies will receive food:

1. Coalition for Hispanic Family Services

2. Comunilife

3. Davidson Community Center

4. Puerto Rican Family Institute

5. Spanish Speaking Elderly Council (RAICES)

6. South Bronx Action Group / Nos Quedamos

7. Southside United Housing Development Funding Corp. (Los Sures)

8. Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont and Mamaroneck

9. Circulo de la Hispanidad, Inc.

10. Adelante of Suffolk County

11. Hispanic Brotherhood

12. The HopeLine

13. Sure We Can

Those interested in becoming a collection site and helping to bring relief to those who need it most, please contact 1(866)HF AYUDA / 1 (866) 432-9832. To learn more about Lucha Contra El Hambre visit Hispanic Federation.