WASHINGTON, DC (April 30, 2012) – The United States Department of Agriculture’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will host a conference call and webinar in Spanish to introduce the new La Mesa Completa tool kit.

The webinar will begin at 3 p.m. (EDT) on Wednesday, May 2. The webinar is free but participants must pre-register. Click here to complete online registration.

The Spanish-language toolkit is designed for faith-based and community leaders to learn about various ways in which they can partner with department to ensure Hispanics have access to nutrition programs. The resource includes helpful links, best practices, stories, and videos of personal testimonies.

According to the department more than one fourth of Hispanics are at risk of going hungry. They also participate “substantially less” in the department’s primary safety net against hunger, the Supplemental Nutrition Access Program.

Some diet-related illnesses also are greater among Hispanics. Roughly one-third of American children are overweight or obese, putting the same proportion at risk for diabetes. The rate in Hispanic communities reaches nearly 40 percent.

Through the USDA’s nutrition assistance programs, La Mesa Completa aims to help families set a table that is complete with enough nutritious food by providing financial assistance, offering access to the following programs: National School Lunch and Breakfast, Summer Food Service, Child and Adult Care Food, and Women, Infants, and Children.

For more information email Adriana Zorrilla or call her at 703-305-2385.