ORLANDO, Fla. — A recent Northwestern University study found that the coronavirus pandemic has caused hunger security among many Hispanic families.

The study found almost 40 percent of Hispanic families with children now struggle to feed their families.

Many parents like 50-year-old Janeth De Santos, of Central Florida, turn to food pantries for hunger relief.

“We’re making it by day-to-day,” De Santos said.

De Santos said she and her husband have been struggling to find steady work during the pandemic. Her husband is a construction worker, and she told Spectrum News his work stalled.

Tammi Madison, Executive Director of St. Cloud Community Pantry, said two-thirds of families who visit the pantry “have children or another generation living with them.”

“Since March 23, we’ve seen 1,200 people a week looking for food assistance on our website feedhopenow.org. Our average prior to the pandemic was about 65 (people) a week," said Erika Spence, a Second Harvest Food Bank mission storyteller.

De Santos said she now works 25 hours a week compared to 40-hour weeks she worked before the global crisis. With schools closing, she was forced to work only five hours a day in order to care for her children.

“Their kids were out of school, not accessing maybe the free and reduced meals they were accustomed to receiving, two meals a day, five days a week,” Spence said. “That’s a lot.”

Spence said an increase to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) could help.

“The SNAP program is designed to ramp up when the economy shrinks so it counter balances what’s going on,” Spence said.

Florida Farmworkers Association of Florida in Apopka will host a food distribution event on Thursday, July 23 at its office building: 1264 Apopka Blvd, Apopka, FL 32703.

The Mexican Consulate in Orlando wil also provide coronavirus testing this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.