SALT LAKE CITY — A local community could use a helping hand this holiday season.
Comunidades Unidas is a local organization that helps 120 families, around 4,000 people each month with food donations and other services.
“The mission of the organization is more than anything to advocate for empowering people, especially Latinos,” said Minerva Zamarripa, the food distribution promoter and community health worker for Comunidades Unidas (quote translated from Spanish). “All of this is clearly focused on well-being. We do not want the community to have to fend for itself, so more than anything we provide them with the tools so that they can get ahead on their own.”
Those tools include access to education and healthcare, among many other examples.
Zamarripa said more families who maybe didn’t need support before are coming in now because of inflation and holiday season expenses.
“Especially at this time it is more difficult,” she said, “Since the holidays are coming, many people have more expenses, so many people come here in search of this resource.”
She said for 24 years their mission has been supported with the help of donations.
As they near the end of the fiscal year, they are in need of help stocking the shelves.
"Next week is the last day of delivery of this food,” said Zamarripa, “So let’s hope by January that the program continues and we can get more donations so that it stays afloat and we can continue helping and supporting families."
Comunidades Unidas lists ways Utahns can support the cause on their website HERE.
