“IT CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON MANY THINGS.” | A WORD FROM JULIAN PEREZ-HERNANDEZ

Going into this summer, everything was extremely uncertain and different, and I became worried that I wouldn’t be able to impact my community the way I had hoped. But, thankfully, I was chosen for the opportunity to work alongside Florida Impact to End Hunger as a No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador.

Because of this unprecedented pandemic, the Summer BreakSpot enrichment practices Florida Impact to End Hunger did in past summers would not be feasible, so we all had to adapt and find a new way to work with the Broward County Libraries to spread the word about their Summer BreakSpot meal sites, which would now be served as Grab ’n’ Go.

Supplying Summer BreakSpot meals with Food ’N’ Fun activity packs ended up being our enrichment practice. We spent the beginning of the summer putting these packs together, deciding which toys and activities we thought the kids would most enjoy.

Interacting with the families who benefitted from the Summer BreakSpot program was incredible. I had the opportunity to communicate with many of them in English, Spanish, and French, which reflects how the need for healthy food is something that goes beyond just one group in our community, but rather affects all different facets of our community.

The summer I was able to spend with Florida Impact to End Hunger allowed me to learn so much about adapting and working as an effective team member. It changed my perspective on many things. The amount of need for these kinds of food distribution programs was quite an eye-opener.

I was also taken aback at the amount of people working tirelessly throughout our community to service and aid those in need however possible, and I was blessed to play a small role in that effort this summer.

– Julian Perez-Hernandez

No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador

Summer 2020