Fresno non-profit helps local undocumented women 65+ years

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Genoveva Islas Founded Cultiva la Salud in 2005. The nonprofit has been providing food boxes to Fresno Senior Citizens through the pandemic.

The program is called Save the Señoras.

Every month, her non-profit delivers boxes filled with food, hygiene products and cleaning supplies to elderly Latinas.

"It was beautiful to go there. They would say they were just so grateful for them, they would give me Bendiciones and I would feel so fulfilled," says Genoveva.

Her primary focus is helping immigrant women 65 and older. Participants are also low-income and living in Fresno County.

"A lot of these seniors, because they have a history of working in farm labor, they didn't have retirement, they didn't have pensions, they were not eligible for any of the stimulus that were coming because of their immigration status," Genoveva explains.

In the last year, Cultiva La Salud has identified over 200 undocumented women in need.

Many of them don't have access to health care.

"Unfortunately, a lot of our elders had an experienced chronic illness -- diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. That was important information, so when we were getting to know them, we would also do wellness checks," says Genoveva.

The program has distributed 4,800 boxes since it kicked off in 2020. But the grant funds they rely on are slowly coming to an end.

Cultiva La Salud is accepting donations to keep the program going. For more information on how to help, you can visit here.