A Latinx advocacy group on eastern Long Island has expanded to meet the growing needs caused by the coronavirus pandemic. But more help might be needed if there’s a second wave in the fall.
The health and economic crises brought on by the pandemic have hit immigrant communities hard, especially those that rely on seasonal summer work to pay the bills throughout the year.
Minerva Perez is with OLA of Eastern Long Island. The group shifted gears in March to provide food, masks and mental health care services to families in need, but Perez says more help is needed.
“We already know for our working families, whether they be Latino or non-Latino, that the fall and the winter are the leanest times, historically, out here as a seasonal community.”
Perez says the upcoming fall and winter carry a lot more uncertainty that usual, with questions about school reopening, childcare availability and whether the virus will cause another economic shutdown.
