IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (Border Report) — Organizers have gathered enough boxes of food for 500 families in South San Diego County, but they worry it’s not enough.
The boxes will include fruits, milk, cheese, nonperishable items and even turkeys, and will be handed out Saturday morning in the city of Imperial Beach. The food giveawat is open to anyone — residents in this town and others who live along the border — affected by COVID-19.
“We have a lot of essential workers here in the South Bay,” said Imperial Beach Councilwoman Paloma Aguirre. “Of the entire county, we’ve been hit the hardest by this disease because these are the folks on the front lines day in and day out driving our buses, at hospitals, grocery checkers, they have the biggest chance of getting this disease.”
Many people have been driven into poverty during the pandemic, leaving them without enough for essentials such as food and rent, Aguirre said.
“Really, this has been a devastating disease, not just health wise but economically,” she said.
Aguirre expects they’ll run out of food long before the lines die down at the first come, first served event.
“My guess is that tomorrow, we’re going to run out of the boxes right away,” she said.
Aguirre blames the federal government for not doing enough to provide basic necessities for people during the ongoing pandemic.
“People don’t have money for rent, for food, for their children — they’ve been given $1200, what can you do with that?” she said.
Murphy’s Produce with Purpose and Iron Workers Local 229 are contributing the food items to be given away during the distribution event.