Longino “Gino” Barragan of Wider Circle inspires health & connectedness in face of Covid
The last “normal” day for Wider Circle, a nationwide organization dedicated to countering feelings of social isolation, loneliness, and depression among seniors, was on Friday, March 13th 2020. As people flocked to the stores to stockpile, growing more and more anxious over long lines, empty shelves, and what seemed like the last bottle of sanitizer in the city, members of Wider Circle felt anxious about how they were going to access essential items such as food, water, and toilet paper.
The individual who fielded many of those concerns is Longino “Gino” Barragan. As a philanthropist and Lead Facilitator for Wider Circle Los Angeles, Gino wasted no time springing into action to help his community. We decided to catch up with the L.A. native, who also happens to be a Helping Hands volunteer, to learn more about how his team continues to support people at a time in history when they need it most.
- Though COVID-19 is an unprecedented health crisis, “food insecurity” is not. Can you shed some light on the subject and how we can effectively respond?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life”. My experience has taught me that there’s no single face of food insecurity, nor does it exist in isolation. Many low-income families are affected by multiple overlapping issues like lack of affordable housing, social isolation, chronic or acute health problems, high medical costs, and low wages. I believe that an effective response to food insecurity must address these challenges posed by the social determinants of health and I am currently exploring how these interlocking issues affect the health outcomes of both individuals and populations.
2. How does your work with Wider Circle align with Helping Hands Community?
My goal with Wider Circle is to reach as many seniors in the community who are in need of fresh, sustainable food resources. I am fighting not only food insecurities but hunger as well, and with the assistance of Helping Hands Community, we have been able to deliver much needed groceries and supplies to over 2,500 seniors in the Greater Los Angeles area. Whether it’s sourcing food, giving a motivational message before our work day begins, repacking bags of groceries, managing deliveries, creating lists, making phone calls, or just listening to someone, I am all in!
“Coach GinoB, as we (volunteers) like to refer to him as, is kind-hearted, energetic, and incredibly supportive”.
— Michelle Iafigliola, Director of Field Ops (Southern California) for Helping Hands Community
3. When the Stay At Home orders went into effect, how did the Wider Circle community react?
Since so many of our resources and social networking events are done face-to-face, we had to begin to figure out how to give our Members the same care and guidance virtually. A few days before the official Stay At Home ordinance, I picked up my first 300 meals and distributed them amongst our Members with the help of my amazing team of facilitators (Dulce Dagda, Jen Hernandez, Jonathan Morales and Jesus Tomayo). We hit the ground running and have no plans to slow down.
4. How are you able to source so many groceries and supplies week after week?
It’s all thanks to the relationships and partnerships that I have created over the past 25 years living, working and volunteering in my communities in Los Angeles.
5. Can you help us visualize your impact on the community in a typical week?
From Monday’s at 9 AM until late in the afternoon on Friday’s, you can find me either sourcing, packing and repacking, or delivering bags of produce and dry goods to and from our distribution site. On a weekly basis, Helping Hands and I host/organize food deliveries for impacted seniors of COVID-19 in the communities of Los Angeles. We see roughly ten 25-foot trucks full of food kits and pallets of produce a week and deliver between 300 and 400 food kits and 250 to 300 bags of groceries a week. Additionally, I’m able to coordinate deliveries that benefit other community-based organizations through my own nonprofit, Esperanza Health and Wellness Center. For example, we source, pack, and send children’s toys and craft supplies to the East Los Angeles Service Center (WDACS) and deliver cases of PPE to local hospitals and doctors offices.
“My parents, grandparents, teachers, cafeteria workers, librarians, therapists, school nurses, custodians, coaches and music teachers that are all retired and in their golden years showed me a tremendous amount of love and care in my adolescence. I feel it is my responsibility and duty to return the favor in these challenging times for them”. —Gino
6. What’s the most rewarding part of your work?
Being of service to the seniors in my community, the same generation of people who showed me the most attention and care as a child when I needed it most.
I don’t want my daughter and son to grow up in a world where people stand by and don’t help. Humans can be very resilient at times, but they are very fragile as well. I feel that we humans can get through many challenges and obstacles in life with the help of someone or something. I would like to believe that I am that someone or am providing that something that will get somebody else through the challenge or obstacle that they are facing.
Since joining Wider Circle in October of 2018, membership has grown over 976% in L.A., a testament to Gino’s dedication and community-driven spirit.
To learn more about Wider Circle and how you can get involved, send an email to info@widercircle.com or contact them directly at (877) 470–0390. You may also contact Gino directly: ginob@esperanzahealthandwellnesscenter.com
