THERE’S ALSO A SIMILAR FEATURE ON INSTAGRAM RIGHT NOW. WELL, EVERY FRIDAY WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING STORIES OF INSPIRATION, DREAMS AND PERSEVERANCE FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. I SPOKE WITH A MAN ON A MISSION TO FEED SOUTH FLORIDA IN THIS MORNING’S PROJECT COMMUNITY 28,000FT BACK THERE. IT’S GOING TO BE ALL COLD STORAGE. AND THEN IN HERE, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE THIS IS GOING TO BE ALL KITCHEN SPACE FOR PACO VELEZ WORKING AT FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A JOB, HELPING FAMILIES FIND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR GAVE ME JOY FOR THE PRESIDENT AND CEO. IT GOES BACK TO HIS CHILD HOOD AND MEXICAN ROOTS. MY FATHER WAS BORN ON A FARM IN NEW MEXICO, 2 TO 2 FARM WORKER PARENTS. PACO REMEMBERS SITTING AROUND THE DINNER TABLE HEARING HIS FATHER’S STORIES AS ONE OF THE UNFORTUNATE IRONIES IN LIFE IS THOSE FOLKS WHO HELP PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR SO MANY STRUGGLE TO PUT FOOD ON THEIR OWN TABLE. WHICH IS WHERE WE COME IN, AND WE TRY TO HELP FAMILIES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, HELP MAKE ENDS MEET BY PROVIDING THE FOOD AND SETTING THE TABLE FOR THEIR FAMILY. FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA SERVES MORE THAN 1 MILLION PEOPLE. FROM THE PALM BEACHES TO THE KEYS, GIVING OUT MORE THAN 72 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD A YEAR TO SO FAMILIES, WHEN THEY COME IN TO ACCESS FOOD, THEY GET A CHOICE OF ACCESSING THE FOOD THAT’S GOING TO REMIND THEM OF HOME. THIS REMINDS ME OF OF COLOMBIA. THIS REMINDS ME OF PANAMA, OF DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO A LITTLE TASTE OF HOME, PACO SAYS IT’S FULFILLING TO SEE FAMILIES BENEFIT FROM THE WORK OF THEIR MANY VOLUNTEERS, BUT THERE IS MORE TO BE DONE. IT’S REWARDING FOR THAT SPLIT SECOND, BUT YOU KNOW. NOW NEXT WEEK, THESE FAMILIES ARE GOING TO BE IN THE SAME SITUATION. KNOW AND YOU HEARD PACO JUST SAY IT RIGHT THERE. IT’S SO REWARDING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE TO THE FAMILIES. BUT THEIR ULTIMATE GOAL IS FOR THE FAMILIES NOT TO HAVE TO RETURN. SO IN ADDITION TO FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA, THEY ALSO OFFER ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE WORK TRAINING, NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION AND ALSO JUST LIFE SKILLS SO THAT FAMILIES CAN GROW. AND HOPEFULLY ONE DAY
Florida nonprofit CEO speaks on how Hispanic roots led him to serve the community
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Updated: 8:41 PM CDT Sep 26, 2023
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For Paco Vélez, CEO and President of Feeding South Florida, his work is a calling.“Helping families find what they were looking for gave me joy,” said Vélez. For Vélez, it goes back to his childhood and Mexican roots. “My father was born on a farm in New Mexico to two farmworker parents,” said Vélez. His father was a farm worker, too. Vélez remembers sitting around the dinner table, hearing his father’s stories. “One of the unfortunate ironies in life is those folks who help put food on the table for so many, struggle to put food on their own table,” said Vélez. “Which is where we come in. We try to help families as much as possible, help make ends meet by providing that food and setting the table for their family.”Vélez made it his life’s mission to make sure no family was ever in a situation like that. Feeding South Florida serves more than one million people from the Palm Beaches to the Florida Keys, giving out more than 72 million pounds of food a year. “Families, when they come in to access food, they get a choice of accessing the food that's going to remind them of home,” said Vélez. This reminds me of Colombia. This reminds me of Panama, of Dominican Republic. I want to make sure that families have access to a little taste of home.”Vélez says it is fulfilling to see families benefit from the work of their many volunteers, but there is more to be done.“It's rewarding for that split second. But, you know, next week, these families are going to be in the same situation,” said Vélez. This is why Vélez says Feeding South Florida offers programs, including work training, nutritional education and life skills, so families can grow hopefully one day on their own.
For Paco Vélez, CEO and President of Feeding South Florida, his work is a calling.
“Helping families find what they were looking for gave me joy,” said Vélez.
For Vélez, it goes back to his childhood and Mexican roots. “My father was born on a farm in New Mexico to two farmworker parents,” said Vélez.
His father was a farm worker, too. Vélez remembers sitting around the dinner table, hearing his father’s stories.
“One of the unfortunate ironies in life is those folks who help put food on the table for so many, struggle to put food on their own table,” said Vélez. “Which is where we come in. We try to help families as much as possible, help make ends meet by providing that food and setting the table for their family.”
Vélez made it his life’s mission to make sure no family was ever in a situation like that.
Feeding South Florida serves more than one million people from the Palm Beaches to the Florida Keys, giving out more than 72 million pounds of food a year.
“Families, when they come in to access food, they get a choice of accessing the food that's going to remind them of home,” said Vélez. This reminds me of Colombia. This reminds me of Panama, of Dominican Republic. I want to make sure that families have access to a little taste of home.”
Vélez says it is fulfilling to see families benefit from the work of their many volunteers, but there is more to be done.
“It's rewarding for that split second. But, you know, next week, these families are going to be in the same situation,” said Vélez.
This is why Vélez says Feeding South Florida offers programs, including work training, nutritional education and life skills, so families can grow hopefully one day on their own.
