by Adonijah Bourne

The Audelia Community Response Team, a Prince George’s County based mutual aid group, gave back in a major way this holiday season –– providing meals to 55 local families in need. 

On the day prior to Thanksgiving, ACRT partnered with ADOBO and DJ Pedro Night to host an online fundraiser that successfully raised about $1,200 which allowed them to provide 55 families with a Thanksgiving dinner. 

Each family received produce, 10 pounds of rice, oil, chicken, turkey, masa, a gallon of horchata and a pack of face masks to stay safe during the festivities.

Zulma Argueta, a recipient of this donation said that without the help of ACRT, Thanksgiving would have been just like any other day. 

“With the little that I had, I wouldn’t have been able to do an actual Thanksgiving dinner,” she said. 

ACRT was founded earlier this year during the height of the coronavirus pandemic and was named after Audelia Berrios de Hernandez, a well known humanitarian in Langley Park, who died two years ago, program director Oneyda Hernandez said.

In April, during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, Oneyda and her family sought out to help a patient in need from the physical therapy clinic that they worked at in Takoma Park.  

Oneyda and her family raised money to buy the family food, extra mattresses and help out with their rent. Neighbors in similar situations saw what the Hernandez family did and asked if they were an organization. That was when the Hernandez family decided to form ACRT. 

Oneyda credits her mother, Audelia, with instilling the value of community in her family by always lending a helping hand when possible.

“[Audelia] used to have yearly trips to El Salvador and she always would take essentials back home to make sure everyone in our town was okay,” she said. “Even here she would cook so we can go give the food to the community in Langley Park.” 

What started as one family helping out another has expanded to having over 30 volunteers and serving over 1,000 local families, according to community outreach director Camila Lavadenz. 

In just seven months, ACRT has grown into a prevalent mutual aid group that is helping support marginalized families throughout Prince George’s County. As it continues to grow, the group has more plans to help their community. 

ACRT plans to create a network of community fridges, starting in Langley Park, that will cut food waste, build stronger bonds within communities and provide people with nutritious food free of charge, according to their website.

ACRT has helped battle the coronavirus that has disproportionately impacted impoverished communities of color by collaborating with Unicare Medical Solutions Inc., and All Care Family Urgent Care to provide free COVID-19 testing to the Langley Park community. 

The team is also distributing computers and tablets to children in need to help them continue their virtual learning and has joined a joint mentoring program with Family Learning Solutions, Inc. in order to provide students with mental health resources and SAT prep. 

“My mother raised me with the belief that communities are stronger united,” Oneyda said. “Serving the community means eliminating access barriers and meeting basic needs … I don’t believe anyone should be worried about essentials, especially during a health crisis.”

Featured photo: Audelia Community Response Team volunteers sort and distribute food during their Thanksgiving food drive for local families in need. Photo courtesy of Audelia Community Response Team.