A report by the Hispanic Federation, a US-based non-governmental organization, provided details of the impact of millions in donations on the lives of local Latino communities during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic last year. Millions of dollars were donated in the form of medical, food, and housing assistance, among others, which “enabled hundreds of organizations to serve as ‘safety nets’ and provide direct assistance to Hispanic families”. 

“The Hispanic Federation, one of the nation's largest Latino nonprofit umbrella organizations, disbursed $20.6 million to more than 350 nonprofit groups and 798 small businesses through its Covid relief grant program. The funds were awarded between March 2020 and September this year, and about 73 percent of the beneficiaries served Latino and immigrant communities across the mainland United States and Puerto Rico”. 

Other organizations such as the Immokalee, Florida-based Redlands Christian Migrant Association, which assists families of rural workers and migrants, and Chicago's Latinos Progresando, which provides legal services in immigration processes, were cited in the report as standing out from their financial assistance. Vulnerable residents, even purchasing food and providing vaccines. 

“More than $10 million in grants for food assistance provided help to more than 550,000 people. At least 68 nonprofit groups launched food-related programs and 75 organizations expanded upon them”. 

“About $1 million in grant money went to 19 Latino health centers that provided more than 230,000 vaccinations in communities where fear of not having insurance or lacking legal status – even though vaccines are free and available to all regardless of immigration status” – has become an impediment to vaccinating immigrant families. There is still an additional 7 million dollars that can be used as assistance until the end of this year by the Hispanic Federation, despite the many limitations that still exist.