Latino Organizations Mobilize

by Patricia Serrano –

These are local organizations such as Poder Emma, ​​La Milpa, CIMA, Únete, Umoja, Operation Getaway, Tierra Fértil, and Tepeyac Mountain Sanctuary.  

Several Latino organizations in Asheville and Buncombe County have joined together to organize a collection and distribution center that is providing aid to the hardest hit communities, especially mobile home parks.

With dozens of volunteers working against the clock, the goal is to bring food, water, and basic necessities to Latino families who have been impacted by the Hurricane Helene and they do not have access to get to the city center to obtain resources.

Door-to-Door Delivery in the Emma Neighborhood and Erwin District

The operations center has been established in the El Porvenir Economic and Cultural Center, located in the Emma neighborhood, where the collection of products is coordinated and then distributed door to door.

Geny Hernández, co-director of Colaborativa La Milpa, explains: “What we are doing here is collecting food and products for families, and from here they are taken to homes, door to door, in the Emma neighborhood and the Erwin district.”

Hernandez also highlights that the efforts go beyond these areas, and that they want to extend aid to other areas where it is needed, stating that this is both a collection and distribution center.

So far, they have provided aid to 2,500 families, the vast majority of whom are Latino and live in mobile home parks and do not have the means of transportation to get to the county’s distribution points.

Volunteers: An Invaluable Resource

Among the volunteers organizing the aid is Edna Alviter, originally from Hidalgo, Mexico, who has taken on a key role in the logistics of the products for the affected families.

“The most important thing is that we are bringing food and supplies to families who have not been able to go out, who do not have a car or gas,” says Alviter.

He added that his team is using vans to deliver supplies directly to the homes of people in need.

Alviter, who lives in the Magetsi trailer park, also shared how his community has been impacted: “We have a lot of fallen trees and damaged roads, but we are okay. I live in a trailer park called Magetsi. Of the 10 houses, two were damaged.”

Despite the difficulties, Edna Alviter highlights the sense of unity that has been strengthened among the local families.

The efforts of these groups are an example of community commitment and solidarity among Latino residents in the area. With the coordinated work of organizations and volunteers, we hope to continue providing support to those who need it most during this crisis.

Most Required Products

The collection and distribution center located in El Porvenir, 17 Westside Dr. in Asheville, has shared the list of the most needed items that are currently in short supply:

• Alcohol gel or liquid
• Vaporub
• Plastic containers (Tupperware type)
• Shampoo
• Diapers sizes 5, 6, and 7
• Poison ivy treatment
• Tylenol
• Test strips for measuring blood sugar
• Cold and cough medicines (for babies and adults)
• Paper products (plastic plates, cutlery) and disposable cups
• Ziploc type bags, quart and gallon sizes
• Paper towels
• 3-gallon buckets, preferably with lids, but lidless are also useful

How to Donate

To make donations, the collection and distribution center asked that those who have the possibility to do so send a text message to the number (828) 545-7223.  Include your name, if you are associated with an organization, when you can stop by, the amount of materials you can bring, and a list of the items being donated.

Do You Want to Volunteer?

Organizations are seeking bilingual volunteers to assist non-English speaking Latinos in the application process for FEMA assistance. If you are bilingual and want to help, you can sign up at enlacelatinonc.org/en/asheville-hurricane-helene-aid-centers-latino-organizations.

Reprinted courtesy of Enlace Latino NC, enlacelatinonc.org.