Asian Media Access (AMA), a HUB partner with Loaves & Fishes for the past two years, recently put on a food distribution event that impacted over 400 families. Each family picked up rice, noodles, oil, Asian canned food and had access to Voting Registration, Census, COVID-19 booths, along with Hmong, Mandarin and Vietnamese interpreters. One item, however, stole the show.
Pineapple.
“In Taiwan, Pineapple is called ‘Enriching Fortune.’” Ange Hwang, Executive Director of AMA, explained. “If people are going to change their fate or luck, they will bring a pineapple back home to improve their fortune. It was a great blessing for all families in need to bring the pineapple back home from our food distribution event.”
The pineapple along with another fan favorite, peaches, were supplied by Loaves & Fishes thanks to a little good fortune ahead of time.
When AMA began piecing together the food distribution event with all their partners they reached out to Loaves & Fishes for support.
“When we talked with (Warehouse Assistant) Chris Pangle and (Director of Operations) Kiley Benson at Loaves & Fishes about our effort they had just received a shipment of peaches and pineapple,” Hwang said. “Chris at the warehouse really helped us. He opened late and set things aside for us to take.”
After the event, AMA received a thank you note highlighting the fresh fruit.
“We had a family write to us that the peaches and pineapple filled their car with that fragrance and really empowered them to want to eat healthy,” Hwang said. “That freshness really gave comfort to our community.”
AMA’s mission is to connect the disconnected. They are dedicated to using multimedia arts, technology and community organizing as tools for social betterment. They have increased their efforts since the middle of March. Over the past two years they have normally picked up fresh fruit weekly from Loaves & Fishes that support 20 families but were able to use their connection to pick up a large supply for the food distribution event.
“We were able to put this all together in a short amount of time,” Hwang said. “It was great to see the whole community bond over food.”
