‘It has been a very heavy year, but we can’t give up.’

In the days following Christmas, dozens of families in New Orleans struggle to put food on the table. It’s a season that saw more people in need because of coronavirus, according to District E Councilmember Cyndi Nguyen.“It has been a very heavy year, but we can’t give up,” Nguyen said after hours at food distribution sites, and then preparing boxes for door-to-door delivery. “I’m not willing to give up. We are going to continue to tackle the coronavirus. We are going to get through this together, but we want to make sure that we get through this safe and that everybody stays as healthy as they can.”Nguyen joined non-profit Culture Aid NOLA to set up four food distribution sites in the Lower Ninth Ward Saturday. They expected to give away about 280 boxes of food.Nguyen said she knows the impact of food insecurity firsthand, recalling scarce supplies as a child when her family first immigrated to New Orleans. She said she is committed to feeding the community she represents.“We have families that barely made it through Christmas and so it was also important for me — the day after Christmas — to continue to push food out into our community.”