Latino Forum: Hunger in Austin

COMMUNITY LEADERS TO ADDRESS HUNGER IN AUSTIN
Latino Forum to be held on May 8, 2012

April 23, 2012 – The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC) will present a Latino Forum and Town Hall Meeting at 6-8 PM on May 8, 2012 to discuss ways of raising awareness of hunger in the Latino community. The event is free and open to the public and will include community leaders, elected officials, anti-hunger activists, and representatives of the media. It will be covered in Latinometro, the new Austin-focused website.

The event is part of TACORAMA, the 2012 Austin Taco Festival, held May 5-12 to celebrate Latino heritage, culture, music, art and...tacos! Proceeds will benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. Latinometro has teamed up with community partners and media sponsors to present the city-wide festival, which will be an annual event. A full schedule of events can be found at www.latinometro.com.

“We invite everyone to join us at TACORAMA," said Alfredo Estrada, publisher of LATINO Magazine and founder of Latinometro. “Everyone in Austin loves tacos, but it's also important to help those in need. Nearly one in three Latinos face hunger, but it's a problem that can be solved if we all get involved.”

The Forum will cover topics such as food insecurity among Latino elderly, SNAP outreach, nutrition and wellness, childhood obesity and other issues. The audience will then participate in a question and answer session with panelists and speakers, including:

• Laura Esparza, Emma S. Barrientos MACC
• Kathy Green, Sr. Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Capital Area Food Bank
• Juan Sanchez, Founder and CEO, Southwest Key
• Victor Azios, Executive Director, El Buen Samaritano
• Jeremy Everett, Director, Texas Hunger Initiative
• Karen Patyk, Program Manager, Hunger Impact Area, AARP Foundation

TACORAMA is made possible with the support of partners such as the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Descuento Libre, Fiesta Mart, State Farm, Southwest Key, Champion Toyota, AARP Foundation, Fiesta Tortillas, Big Red/7Up, Capital Area Food Bank, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Cine las Americas, Mexic-Arte Museum, El Centro, and the Pachanga Music Festival.

For more information, contact Evelyn Castillo at evelyn@latinometro.com or (512)791-8308.

Latinometro is a new website from the publishers of LATINO Magazine. Launched during SXSW Interactive, it is the digital hub of Latino life in Austin. Check it out at www.latinometro.com.