HopeLink hosted a panel of community members with ties to the food industry to highlight food assistance programs, answer questions about the nuances of the industry, and to network with like-minded entrepreneurs.  

To start off the event Jodi Panya, a program manager at HopeLink, shared some information about the food assistance program at HopeLink. She talked about the purpose of the food markets and how they even have a mobile version of their market. Panya explained how the markets worked.

HopeLink prioritizes a self choice model, which means instead of having to wait in a line at a food bank and getting food that you aren’t able to recognize, HopeLink’s food markets are where people can check in, get a shopping cart, and shop like they’re at a Safeway or a Trader Joe’s. 

In hopes to give the shoppers a sense of dignity and to be able to pick out their own food, in these markets they have a wide selection of foods that are from all over the world so that the shoppers can still have ingredients from their own culture –  as HopeLink recognizes that not everyone eats Western food. 

After Panya spoke about the food assistance program, Karen Rodriguez La Paz, startedthe conversation with the five panelists at the event by introducing them. La Paz is Vice President of Community Affairs for HopeLink who is leading the agency-wide strategies in equity, public policy, community engagement, volunteerism, nationally recognized advocate and awardwood Bram.

The first panelist was Grecia Carrero, the founder and owner of Paparepas, a family owned Venezuelan restaurant that is known for delivering bold and authentic flavors to the Pacific Northwest. Paparepas first started as a single food truck in 2018, and has now grown to have two food trucks and four restaurant locations.

Next was Manheme Mondragon, a Mexican entrepreneur with experience in the supermarket industry specializing in the Indian communities. In recent years, Mondragon started working more with the Latino community which has led him to the creation of a monerat and Colombian specialty supermarket and restaurant that offers both traditional groceries and authentic cuisine.

After Mondragon was Alex Dorros, one of the two owners of Siembra. Along with his mother, Dorros started this business during the pandemic. Siembra is a Peruvian and Colombian restaurant that celebrates South American cuisine and supports local organic farmers.

The fourth panelist was Amanda Lopez-Castanon, the Director of food programs at HopeLink. She is responsible for food distribution in five free food markets and one mobile truck. She leads a team of over 18 people who has helped clients in need receive over nine million pounds of food in 2023 and 2024 combined.

The final panelist was Ansley Roberts, a farm manager at 21 Acres. Roberts has worked on farms and with farmer support organizations from South Carolina to California. She most recently worked with Pie Ranch, in Pescadero, Calif., as a Programs and Operations Coordinator for their 418 acre incubator farm program.

One of the questions they were asked was, “If each of you received $10 million to improve food access in our region, where would you put it and why?”

Dorros said, “I hear about food that’s rotting in the trees because we don’t have a way to process it, so I think about the infrastructure that’s needed for allowing those farmers to get their products to the market. But also think about small businesses, there’s such a lack of affordable space.” 

Lopez-Castanon replied, “I would probably invest it in doing some educational outreach to folks to teach people how to eat, to save our communities. There’s a lot rooted in systems, in communities of people that are not wealthy and cannot afford to eat well. That really affects the health of communities, and I would love to be able to put some of that money towards education. Especially when it comes to young people. Then support the farmers so we could put fresh, nice grape produce in those schools and in those neighborhoods.”

Some of the questions were asked more specifically to one of the panelists. One of the questions was directed to Dorros which inquired about how community kitchens that are set to work for additional systems fall short.

In response Dorros said, “We started our business during the pandemic, like a lot of people are planning to just totally uproot. I decided to jump into the restaurant world right before the start of the pandemic, when a friend opened up a restaurant and two months later, it shut down.”

Some of the other questions that were asked were: “What keeps you grounded in equity and in that focus of feeding people, day in and day out?”; “What is one of the most pressing barriers that you faced in sustaining your work?”; and,  “What are some of those challenges that you faced as a small food entrepreneur, and what would make it easier for restaurants like yours, like Papareas?”

When asked about her favorite part of the event, Shelby Dupre, a Librarian, said, “ Learning about all of the different things that HopeLink does within the community. Like all the different facets that it’s involved in, and then also connecting with those people who are involved in that.”

The event started by asking the panelists questions, but HopeLink was also spreading information on volunteer work and job opportunities. Once the panelists finished with the question portion of the event, the attendees were then invited to enjoy a wide option of foods while chatting and building connections with others. 

While the attendees were given time to chat with others they also had the chance to look at some of the artworks created by Anita Yan Wong who uses ink, coffee and calligraphy to create her art. 

This event is a step towards addressing real problems and coming up with possible solutions to the food crises faced by many. HopeLink, and many other organizations, are actively problem solving these issues in hopes to eradicate this epidemic. The answers may just come from events such as this.