Hi, I am Rita Avellar and I live in the US but I am from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I like to explain where I came from because most Americans when they think about Brazil, they immediately think: soccer, beaches, beautiful people, and...poverty! 

My city Rio is a perfect example of contrasts in Brazil. In a rich neighborhood, you can find the most expensive apartments and houses of Latin America along with favelas. It is weird for anyone who goes to Brazil for the first time to see this huge difference of social classes in the same space. But it is a reality there.

When I moved to the US, specifically to Indianapolis, and start driving around the city I noticed there were neighborhoods with the same contrasts and some really, really poor ones and it made me think a lot about the reason behind poverty in the US. Also, I started learning about food desserts, a concept I never heard before. And it shocked me once more.

As I promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy food, I couldn't imagine someone not having what to eat or eat foods without the basic nutrients to be healthy in a rich country and I wanted to help somehow. It was when I heard about the Patachou Foundation.

I started volunteering for Patachou in 2019 and I am so impressed with the work they have been doing to fight food insecurity among kids who live in a zip code with poor conditions and with no access to good food.

I talk about Patachou to everybody and I recommend it to help with as a volunteer and especially, by donation, as they are a respectful and great institution. Because to continue doing this amazing work, they need your donation and your help is very needed.

Thank you so much!