Feeding the people, nourishing the community

Roxana Pardo Garcia

It’s 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the food bank at Alimentando al Pueblo is as busy as ever. 

People have returned to work, but hospitals are overloaded and many are still struggling to afford the basics, says Roxana Pardo Garcia (she/her). 

“There’s this illusion that we’re going back to normal, (but) the need is there,” she says.

Roxana founded Alimentando al Pueblo, which translates to Feeding the People, as a curbside food bank operating out of Lake Burien Presbyterian Church. Since the project started in July 2020, it has distributed more than 4,100 boxes filled with chilis, fresh peppers, tomatoes and other ingredients that are culturally relevant to local Latinx communities.

It’s not just about food in the literal sense. A big part of Alimentando al Pueblo has been to serve up healing — and moments of joy — to people who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

To that end, the organization has hosted several celebrations with live music, including at its food distribution events. Over the summer, it held a youth camp and laid the groundwork for a series of healing circles called Let’s Break Bread. 

“There will never be accountability to the families or the communities that suffered the most due to this pandemic,” Roxana says. “The only way out of this is if we take care of each other.”

Connecting over commemorating

Latinx Heritage Month (officially called National Hispanic Heritage Month) is a time of reflection and celebration, coinciding with the individual independence days of countries in Latin America. Even so, Roxana says the month-long designation can feel performative and doesn’t hold much significance for immigrants.

“But I also know that we do need celebration,” she says. “(So) how do we plug into these celebrations in a way that honors our communities?”

For those who don’t identify as Latinx, the first step is to learn the significance behind basic terminology like Hispanic and Latinx — and understand why Latinx is often used over Latino or Latina. (Even the name of the month itself is up for debate.)

It’s also important to know that these communities are not a monolith, Roxana says.

That’s where personal relationships come into play. It’s not just about celebrating a culture, but making real connections with the individuals behind that culture.

“We constantly say you love our food, but you don’t love our chefs,” Roxana says. “Building actual relationships with people is important.”

Learn more about Roxana and Alimentando al Pueblo in Season 2, Episode 5 of the We Belong Here podcast.