Washington, DC – The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) announced the launch of a COVID-19 Response Fund to provide economic relief to Hispanics who are among the hardest hit and most vulnerable communities impacted by the deadly Coronavirus outbreak.

“As Chair of CHCI, I’m proud to announce our COVID-19 Response Fund to help some of the most severely impacted members of our Latino community. Our friends, families, and neighbors are facing serious economic hardship, and our essential workers aren’t being given enough of the protections they need and deserve on the frontlines. This fund will allow us to collect donations for nonprofit organizations providing direct services to the most vulnerable members of our community – and to the farmworkers, domestic workers, service industry employees, and more who are doing heroes’ work to help us fight this pandemic.”

●        Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-7), CHCI Chair

“Coronavirus has not only exposed but exacerbated the inequity in our society. For example, mixed-status families, in which one person pays taxes with an ITIN, are being denied stimulus checks—a grave injustice that Congress must make right. Latinos are both disproportionately risking their lives as essential workers, such as farmworkers and meatpackers, and also have disproportionately lost their livelihoods with restaurants and small businesses closed. I applaud CHCI for its leadership and urgent action to help the Latino community with the COVID-19 Response Fund. We are in this crisis together as one American family, and I encourage folks to lift each other up and support the most vulnerable.”

●        Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and current CHCI Advisory Council Member

Through the CHCI COVID-19 Response Fund, potential donors can make a tax-deductible contribution to ensure that services and support are provided to these vulnerable populations. Through the fund, CHCI will allocate financial resources to well-established and highly-regarded nonprofit organizations working directly with some of the most vulnerable segments of the Latino community, such as undocumented individuals, farmworkers, domestic workers, and others.

“More than 12 million undocumented immigrants continue working during this pandemic as farmworkers, child care providers, and health care workers. Yet these taxpayers - including their U.S. citizen children - have been singled out from receiving federal aid.  If we want to stop the spread of COVID-19, we need to protect everyone living in our country, including our hard working immigrant population. I thank CHCI for spearheading this important initiative to support immigrants and other vulnerable populations during the pandemic.”  

●        Rep. Linda Sánchez (CA-38), former CHCI Chair and Current CHCI Advisory Council Member

“The Hispanic community is highly represented among the most severely impacted by COVID-19, and many of us are also essential employees and workers in jobs in the agricultural, hospitality, and service industry. The CHCI COVID-19 Response Fund will urgently provide much needed relief to Hispanics experiencing severe financial hardships and who are without sufficient access or means to medical, economic, or job protection during this unprecedented global crisis.”

●        Marco A. Davis, CHCI President & CEO

Tax-deductible donations to the CHCI COVID-19 Response Fund can be made here. CHCI’s Virtual Briefing Series: COVID-19: Addressing Health Disparities, along with information and resources is available at www.chci.org.    

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is the premier Hispanic nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization in the country dedicated to developing the next generation of Latino leaders®. CHCI provides leadership, public service, and policy experiences to outstanding Latino/a/x students and young professionals, and convenes Members of Congress and other public officials, corporate executives, nonprofit advocates, and thought leaders to discuss issues facing the nation and the Hispanic community. Visit CHCI.org and follow us @CHCI on social media.