SF Carnaval organizer supports community through pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO -- A program created when Carnaval San Francisco was canceled two years ago is still making an impact in the Mission District today.
Alberto Perez recalls unloading huge boxes and bags of food for needy families at the start of the pandemic.
"When the pandemic first started, because it was very scary, our community was impacted by it," Perez said.
Thousands of people lined up to free groceries at the Mission Food Hub every week in the Mission District.
Alberto wasn't just a volunteer. His family was hurting, too.
"My Mom lost her job in the pandemic, so it was hard for my family to provide," Perez said.
In fact, five adults in his household of seven lost their jobs.
So after his volunteer shift, the 19 year old would take home fresh fruit and vegetables to feed them and their neighbors.
"Coming here to the food hub was like medicine. It was coming here to where the community could help each other out," Perez said.
His mentor, Roberto Hernandez, started the Mission Food Hub in 2020 after getting numerous calls from families who were suddenly laid off and desperate to feed their families.
"Food to me is sacred. I've gone hungry sometimes. So I know that it gives you hope. And that's what we're done we're giving people hope that we're going to get through this pandemic," Hernandez said.
Hernandez, the force behind Carnaval, got sponsors to shift their funds to the Mission Food Hub when the annual festival was canceled in 2020.
And he partnered with the Latino Task Force to provide rental assistance COVID vaccines and testing for low income families in the Mission district.
Perez says the food and rental assistance saved his family from becoming homeless.
"You can either lose your home, or you won't have the resources you need to provide for your family," he said. "So the Mission Food Hub really helped me and a lot of families, not just in our mental health but keeping us nourished as well."
And that focus on eating healthy inspired Perez.
He started his own small business last year, Organic Frisco Drip.
He makes nutritious cold-pressed juices using fresh produce purchased from local farmers.
"Roberto has sparked the light in me," Perez said of his mentor.
Hernandez added, "Here they learned about the value of fresh fruits and vegetables because we've always prompted the value of fresh fruits and vegetables in the community. To see him at an event the other day selling his juices, man, it just lit me."
Thanks to the support of Roberto, and the Mission Food Hub, Perez is now feeding the community in a fresh new way.
Mission Food Hub continues to feed about 9,000 families a week. It accepts donations toward groceries and pet food.