Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast at the end of August, impacting parts of North Central Florida. In addition to causing significant impact to people’s homes, flooded fields destroyed crops and chicken hatcheries that employ low-income families in the area. As a result, many families are unsure of how they will be able to afford their next meal or pay rent. Alianza Americas’ member organizations, Rural Women’s Health Project and Florida Immigrant Coalition, work with communities that were directly impacted by hurricane Idalia and have launched fundraising campaigns to provide essential services for families. Below are reflections from both organizations on the matter:

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“Rural communities in Florida, especially along the Gulf Coast, are extremely vulnerable to the devastating impacts of hurricanes. Immigrant communities are largely left out of government-administered recovery efforts and opportunities as a result of necessary information being disseminated only in English. It can take months, if not years, for historically excluded, low-income families to recover from hurricane related losses and destruction,” says Robin Lewy, Director, Rural Women’s Health Project.

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“In a worsening climate crisis, those with less access to resources, living in climate-vulnerable areas, will continue to be the most impacted by hurricanes and tropical storms. Recovery efforts must ensure that low-income communities have access to clean water, food, and stable housing that better supports the needs of families experiencing climate disasters,” added Danielle Chanzes, Climate Justice Organizer, Florida Immigrant Coalition.

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Rural Women’s Health Project is a non-profit, health justice focused organization that works with communities and partners in North Central Florida to build their capacity to overcome health injustice. You can learn more about their work at www.rwhp.org and donate to their campaign here.

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The Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) is on the frontlines of disaster relief efforts, running a hotline to connect callers with resources, facilitating the reporting of incidents, publishing hurricane educational materials in multiple languages, and advocating for fair access to recovery support. You can learn more about their work at https://floridaimmigrant.org/ and donate to their campaign here.

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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.