When the newly-formed Antifascist Unity Coalition launched the Days of Unity campaign in October, it was an effort to bring us together as we fought against the hate politics we have seen take center stage in recent years. Today, as we try to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has truly become days where we need that unity as we come together to see ourselves through these times, and there is a situation where we feel we all need to deal with if we are going to survive.
One of the things we see is people going to their local food banks and pantries as they cannot work and still need to feed their families. In March, for example, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank reported a 40 percent spike in demand for its bags of food, with some 1000 cars lined up at their distribution center. A food bank in San Antionio said they fed 10,000 homes two weeks ago, with 2,000 more coming in the day of that report. A food pantry in Franklin, TN is also getting slammed with people, noting in an AP article that 50% of those that have visited their center have never been there before.
All this is an indication of how overwhelmed food banks and pantries are at this time, and when it ends, they will be depleted of what they might have thought would have lasted them for the rest of the year. We think of their efforts during the holiday season and we work to give what we can to keep them afloat, but the pandemic should have us coming to their aid sooner.
The Antifascist Unity Coalition is looking to do our part to help with the efforts or food banks, pantries, mutual aid organizations and anyone helping to make sure communities do not have to go hungry. We hope you can help, and your contribution will be tax deductible through One People’s Project, a 501 (c)(3) organization. For more information about our efforts, go to our Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/AntifascistDaysOfUnity