Roadblocks to Relief

A new El Tímpano report, Roadblocks to Relief, examines the barriers Latino and Mayan immigrants have faced in accessing pandemic relief, as well as ways to address the evolving resource needs of the communities we serve.

Throughout the pandemic, El Tímpano has provided information about resources to help community members impacted by the economic crisis. And in turn, community members have expressed their frustration at the challenges of accessing them.

This past winter, we set out to learn why. Why, that is, have the resources that in many cases were designed, expanded, or promoted to help stave off displacement, hunger, and extreme poverty failed to help many of those who need them most?

El Tímpano’s Community Organizer, tania quintana, reached out to our SMS community and conducted surveys and in-depth phone interviews to learn what resources Latino and Mayan immigrants need now, and why accessing them has been such a challenge. Tania spent hours on the phone to hear the experiences of stay-at-home mothers, restaurant workers, construction workers, and others who have faced immense hardship—financial and otherwise—during the pandemic.

The report outlines the expressed resource needs of Latino and Mayan immigrants, numerous barriers immigrants have faced in trying to access assistance, and community feedback as to how resources could be more accessible to them. It also includes steps El Tímpano is taking to better connect community members to the resources and services they seek.

Read the full report on Medium, or click here to download a pdf version.