A Birmingham community development and advocacy organization is making sure Hispanic, Latino and immigrant communities aren’t an afterthought during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama has spent the past couple of weeks fighting food insecurity, providing rent assistance and helping domestic violence victims take their first steps toward safety. Staff members have also been working with healthcare officials to translate important information about the coronavirus.

Deputy Director Carlos Aleman said it was important that they stepped up to the plate to help. Many members of the community, like service workers and domestic worker, have lost their jobs because of the outbreak. While legal residents can receive unemployment and stimulus checks, that option isn’t available for undocumented individuals.

The outbreak is also exposing racial disparities in healthcare. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, black Alabamians represent about 27 percent of the state’s population, 46 percent of confirmed COVID-19 deaths are black. In some parts of the county, Latino and Hispanic residents being hit harder by the coronavirus due to lack of healthcare access and inability to access benefits.

“This is a public health crisis and it affects all of us,” Alemán said. “It doesn’t discriminate, but it is impacting our communities, both black and brown, harder.”

The need to help Latino and immigrant communities became apparent as soon as health officials started confirming COVID-19 cases. HICA has received 500 calls since March 16, which is a 25 percent increase in call volume. The loudest need is food assistance.

Ana Murillo, a family and victim advocate through HICA’s Strong Families Program, said many Hispanic and Latino residents need help navigating around a system multiple language barriers. They can call United Way’s 2-1-1 program and get information in Spanish about their nearest food distribution location. But language access usually stops there, Murillo said.

“They link you to church or pantry where they are handing out food, but then they don’t have anyone who speaks Spanish,” Murillo said.

About 100 families have received produce, rice, beans and bread from HICA so far. Fifty more families will be picking up groceries this Thursday at HICA’s office located on Southcrest Drive in Birmingham. Staff members wear gloves and masks as those in need drive up to the building and to pick up their food boxes. The food is provided by multiple community partners, such as Jones Valley Teaching Farm and Levite Jewish Community Center.

In order to make sure HICA has enough food, Alemán said those who need assistance must call HICA ahead of time to receive food assistance every Thursday.

“We want to make sure those boxes have a name and those names are attached to families,” Alemán said.

Executive Director Isabel Rubio said 16 families have received rent assistance through HICA’s Emergency Relief Fund, which started about three weeks ago. Those who show a need can receive up to $500 per month in rent assistance, which goes straight to the landlords, and a Walmart gift card loaded with up to $250 in funds.

Rubio said the fund originally got its start a few years ago to help victims of crime. But due to the economic side effects of the coronavirus, Rubio said they revamped the fund to take the burden off families’ shoulders.

“Since the pandemic, so many people have lost their wages,” Rubio said. “We are able to help community members during this really difficult time when everybody is suffering such a big loss.”

Financial safety isn’t the only thing that is being put at risk during the outbreak. Murillo said five new domestic violence victims have reached out to her for help at the beginning of April alone. It’s hard to contact victims when they are hunkered down with their abuser who may have been furloughed or experienced a job loss.

So, Murillo said her staff had to restrategize their efforts. Normally, victims would come to HICA’s office to complete a from for a protection from abuse order and staff members would assist them as they file the PFA at the courthouse and accompany them during their hearings. Now, HICA is coordinating with different agencies and nonprofits to make sure victims are informed about hearing dates as well as making sure they have interpreters and attorneys at those hearings.

“It literally takes a village,” Murillo said. “It takes a lot more coordination when we are trying to work behind the scenes versus what we usually do.”

The new method can cause a deterioration of trust due to the lack of face-to-face contact, but the victims are still getting the help they need.

“Many of the victims don’t even know us and they are reaching out to us over the phone,” Murillo said. “Then I’m telling them to trust an interpreter that’s going to meet them and somebody else will assist you. So, it’s been hard, but it was helped so far.”

HICA has also increased coordination when it comes to breaking down language barriers when it comes to access to health information and care. Alemán said they have worked with both county and UAB Hospital officials to make sure information is provided in both English and Spanish.

“If you go to the Jefferson County Department of Public Health website now, they are doing much better about having info in Spanish. I think that’s due to the advocacy of HICA and several other partners,” Alemán said.

The lack of diverse communication can cause misinformation and prevent people from getting tested. For example, Alabama isn’t one of the 15 states where undocumented immigrants can receive driver’s license. Alemán said they informing community members they can get tested even if they don’t have a driver’s license.

But Alemán also wants to make sure people receive adequate care if they do test positive for COVID-19. Many people in his community don’t have access to healthcare.

“Testing is great, but I am also concerned about care after the fact,” Alemán said. “Are they going to be able to access to a bed at UAB and receive care? Are they going to look at their status?”

Alemán believes HICA is tackling COVID-19 in the community by implementing a holistic approach that not only takes care of their community’s economic needs, but their healthcare needs as well.

“You have a lot of low-income workers right now who are severely impacted in terms of having to work, with little protection, or also losing their jobs and being extremely vulnerable because they can’t receive any relief from the government,” he said “We’re just thinking forward about what are the current structures in place that would limit someone’s access, and then we try to remove barriers.”