A nonprofit working to preserve the multicultural identity of metro Atlanta’s Buford Highway, hosted a family feeding event Saturday for over a thousand immigrants facing food insecurity ahead of the holidays.
Hundreds of families had wrapped around Sequoya Middle School in Doraville hours before the event, sponsored by WeLoveBufordHighway, kicked off. Outside, participants could secure fresh produce and vegetables, rice and canned goods. Families then headed inside to collect clothes, receive COVID vaccines, take photos with Santa Clause and listen to the Buford Highway Orchestra Project play holiday tunes.
“Our communities face issues like food insecurity and accessing social services due to limited English, and navigating documentation is overwhelming without a trusted community member,” volunteer Delia Mendez-Valdez, 25, said.
“That’s why we created events like these as a one-stop shop for COVID vaccines, children wellness checks and free food in case people can’t take time off from work during the week.”
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
The nonprofit hosted the event in partnership with DeKalb County School District as well as volunteers from Salvation Army, Latino nonprofit GALEO, health care nonprofit CareSource and the Buford Highway Orchestra Project, which teaches orchestral music to over 50 students.
“The holidays are always a difficult time for people who live in poverty and to enjoy themselves without pressures of having to spend money is just really important for these families and to have that community aspect,” Maria Rampaly, a teacher for the Buford Highway Orchestra Project, said. “We need that now more than ever.”
The nonprofit also dubbed it a “holiday healing event” as families not only struggle to put food on the table but worry about President-elect Donald Trump‘s promise to conduct mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants when he takes office in January, WeLoveBufordHighway Executive Director Lily Pabian said.
“Our communities are scared,” she said. “When you think of communities along Buford Highway, our families are of mixed-citizenship status where the head of the household is typically not a citizen, so there is a lot of fear.”
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
Pabian added that fear tactics have already begun, pointing to racist text messages sent to members of the Latino communities in the weeks following the election. The messages said that said that the recipient was selected for deportation.
“We are also focused on how do we help our communities understand their rights, what law enforcement can and can’t do and inform our communities in ways to protect themselves,” she said.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
A 29-year-old Chamblee resident and mother of two, who requested anonymity due to her family’s mixed-citizenship status, said these kind of community events are crucial for those who don’t have stable incomes.
“The holidays are a very difficult time of the year for many of us,” she said in Spanish.
When asked about Trump returning to office in a month, she replied, “There is a lot of fear. We just put our fate in the hands of God.”
WeLoveBufordHighway Board President Seam Park joined the nonprofit a couple years ago as a way to give back to a community that gave him a sense of belonging after immigrating from South Korea in 1988.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
“After immigrating, my family was looking for a community of Asian people and found Buford Highway as a place to get groceries, hair cuts and make connections,” he said. “It’s remained a very important part of my life ever since.”
He said his father owned a fabric store along the eight-mile corridor and while many Korean Americans have left Buford Highway for further north in Gwinnett County, he said it is important for him to preserve the area’s diverse immigrant community.
“Working with WeLoveBufordHighway gives me a chance to return to this sense of belonging and safeguard this constantly-evolving community,” he said.
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