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    Growing Justice From the Ground Up: Co-Creating Food Security Solutions in Latinx Communities

    Monday, May 5, 2025
    1:30 PM – 2:20 PM East Coast USA Time
    Session Summary: "Growing Justice From the Ground Up: Co-Creating Food Security Solutions in Latinx Communities" emphasizes the critical role of highly qualified Community Health Workers (CHWs) in addressing food insecurity and systemic inequities faced by the agricultural workforce and their families. Through the innovative partnership between NC FIELD and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, this session highlights culturally tailored food distribution strategies, including flexible scheduling, multilingual outreach, and CHW-led engagement. Presenters will share data-driven insights into unmet needs such as transportation, healthcare access, and digital connectivity challenges, showcasing the transformative impact of community-driven initiatives. Attendees will gain actionable recommendations to strengthen federal and state nutrition programs through culturally competent approaches, collaborative infrastructure, and grassroots movement building. The session provides a replicable model for addressing food insecurity while supporting the entire rural community by co-creating food programs that are local, accessible, and tailored to the specific needs of this essential workforce. Participants will leave with practical strategies for building sustainable food security solutions that directly involve community leadership and respond to real-world challenges faced by workers and families in rural areas.

    Learning Objectives:

    • Understand the systemic barriers faced by Latinx and rural agricultural workforce communities, and explore policy recommendations to overcome these challenges. Speakers will provide specific data and examples of how transportation gaps, digital connectivity challenges, and the lack of culturally tailored resources hinder access to federal programs like SNAP, TEFAP, and WIC. Honey Yang Estrada and Yesenia Cuello will highlight the importance of empowering Community Health Workers (CHWs) as trusted leaders to bridge these gaps and improve program access. Joe Cashman will offer insights into scalable infrastructure solutions, emphasizing flexible distribution models, multilingual resources, and volunteer training. Attendees will leave with an understanding of how these strategies address systemic barriers and create sustainable, community-driven solutions that enhance access to federal nutrition programs.
    • Explore the transformative role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) and co-created infrastructure in addressing food insecurity. Yesenia Cuello and Honey Yang Estrada will advocate for CHWs’ inclusion as key stakeholders in federal nutrition programs, highlighting the need for funding to support their training and certification. Joe Cashman will share operational strategies for developing infrastructure improvements, such as flexible hours, multilingual resources, and partnerships between community-based organizations and food banks. Attendees will learn how to integrate these approaches into their work to foster trust and enhance program effectiveness for marginalized populations.
    • Identify actionable strategies to expand culturally relevant food programs and strengthen federal nutrition initiatives. The session will highlight the importance of advocating for federal funding dedicated to culturally tailored food distributions that meet the dietary preferences of underserved communities. It will emphasize the need for USDA partnerships with community-based organizations to enhance trust and outreach efforts and provide operational recommendations for incentivizing collaborations that promote infrastructure improvements. Attendees will gain practical tools for implementing these strategies, ensuring federal nutrition programs are more accessible and aligned with the needs of Latinx and rural agricultural workforce communities.