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Amherst, Mass., is a 73% white city.
But with an emerging Latino population that includes about 1 in 5 Spanish-speaking families with kids in public schools, city leaders are ramping up to meet Latino needs, MassLive.com reports.
They’re even setting aside $54,000 to create a Latino community food program.
“When we look at food access (it) is a real issue,” Julie Federman, the city’s health director, told MassLive.com. “Getting to a grocery store, getting to an affordable grocery store can be really challenging.”
U.S. Latinos face a big lack of access to support for economic stability, wellness, and education. Latino children often fall behind in school, and social and physical development, according to a Salud America! research review.
Latinos especially lack access to healthy food options.
In Amherst, the funding also would help assess the need for healthy food options. It also would examine why people aren’t using available programs, such as meals at the Amherst Survival Center and federal food assistance (SNAP and WIC).
“About 50 percent of the population is highly educated with access to housing and health care and unaware of those who don’t have it. The other half isn’t sure how government works and is less visible,” Federman told MassLive.com.
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By The Numbers
1
Supermarket
for every Latino neighborhood, compared to 3 for every non-Latino neighborhood
