GOYA gets support from thousands of NYC bodegas, GoFundMe cause raises $315,000

When Goya Foods CEO Robert Unanue publicly voiced his support for President Trump, there were immediate calls for a boycott of the company’s products  from such progressive lawmakers as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat.

Thousands of New York City bodegas, however, are pushing back.

“Did any of these boycotters stop to think about the impact their actions would have on the more than 13,000 bodegas in the Big Apple — and on hundreds of thousands more stores all over the country that sell Goya products, a staple of the Hispanic dining table? Did they stop to think about the thousands of black and Latino workers Goya employs?” asked Francisco Marte, secretary and treasurer of the New York Bodega and Small Business Association, writing in an op-ed for the New York Post.

“The boycotters say that Unanue crossed the line with his words, because Trump has disparaged Hispanic immigrants. Even if they are right, however, their own actions would, if successful, do greater harm to Hispanics than any of Trump’s words,” he said.

“I’m a Hispanic immigrant, and here is one thing I know. The Unanue family, immigrants from Spain, are role models for every single immigrant to this country — a family whose achievements attest to the promise of America as a land of opportunity. Goya is a job generator, while most of its detractors haven’t done a thing to create a single job for the Hispanic community.”

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe effort for GOYA Foods which was originally intended to raise $10,000 for the company has now raised over $315,000 in just over a week. Almost 9,000 people have stepped up to contribute.

Organizer Casey Harper’s motivation was to buy GOYA products with the funds, then distribute them to local food banks in and around the nation’s capital. That effort is now underway.

“We have identified the first of multiple food pantries to receive a donation. Turns out buying and distributing hundreds of thousands of pounds of food is not easy, but it’s a great problem to have,” Mr. Harper said in a message to contributors.

“Our first order is about 40,000 pounds of food to a food pantry in Arlington, Va., just outside of Washington, DC. This first order will be about $25,000, but I’m waiting on an invoice from GOYA for the exact number. Pictures and many more orders to come. I was told the manager of the food pantry was dancing with joy!” he advised.