Coastside Volunteers Make, Sell Tamales to Help Ukraine
HALF MOON BAY (KPIX) -- Nonprofits with experience helping refugees teamed up this week to help people in Ukraine by selling tamales that will raise money to feed families in that war zone.
"Food is love, food is what brings people together," said Lizette Diaz, a staff member in charge of donor outreach for Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS).
ALAS and Bay Area Border Relief partnered to make tamales and donate the proceeds from their sales to support the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
Refugees are receiving meals from the on-the-ground distribution network, World Central Kitchen. The tamales are handmade and, over the course of three days, volunteers made 1,500 and sold out. The effort so far has raised $10,000 for Ukraine.
"I feel really proud that we're able to come together to help here to work with the families of Ukraine because we see the tragedy of what's happening," said Jorge Sanchez through a translator. He is a ALAS staff member from Venezuela who sought asylum in the U.S.
Sanchez spent time at the border waiting to come into the U.S. He is grateful for the chance to pay it forward to others who are now experiencing the same challenges leaving Ukraine.
Sanchez' family waited in a tent to get to this country, he recalled. "Really hard nights, nights that were sad, nights that were long, nights that we were crying."
These nonprofits work all year to help refugees from Latin America. Volunteers know the impact they make each day with families coming across the border and said they had to act with this conflict in Europe.
"I can't just stand by, seeing all this going down in the Ukraine and not do anything about it," said Ryan Diego Lopez, a volunteer for ALAS.
The nonprofits will distribute the tamales over the weekend. While they are not selling any more, you can still donate online to support the cause.
"No human should go through that. They shouldn't be suffering that way," Diaz said. She knows there are young women just like her trying to escape the dangers in their home country. "There is always hope."