Nearly 20% of Latinos Lack Access to Food Each Year

Washington, DC – Latinos face a disproportionately high rate of hunger and limited or lack of access to nutritious food, according to a new report to be released by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S. A news briefing on the report, Sin Provecho: Latinos and Food Insecurity: An examination of the effectiveness of federal food assistance programs in allaying hunger and food insecurity in the Latino community, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 20 at Carlos Rosario International School, an NCLR Affiliate.

Among the report’s key findings is that nearly one in five Latinos (19.6%) suffers from limited or lack of access to nutritious food each year, compared to 12% of all Americans. The report identifies a number of areas that contribute to this figure, as well as examines the links between hunger and problems such as obesity and physical and mental health among children.

The press conference will feature Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO; Ellen Volinger, Legal Director of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC); Beatriz Otero, Executive Director of CentroNía, an NCLR Affiliate; and Sonia Gutierrez, Executive Director of the Carlos Rosario International School. Representatives from CentroNía will speak about the personal experiences of members of the Washington, DC Latino community who experience food insecurity and its consequences.

MEDIA ADVISORY

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