Local fruit vendor shares his COVID-19 story

Local vendor wants to make sure El Centro is healthy

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - Leonardo Duarte, a local fruit vendor who contracted COVID-19 a couple months ago, is back at work, and says that his business is booming.

While other businesses in the Imperial Valley struggle to make ends meet during the pandemic, Duarte says his fruit stand always has a good flow of customers Monday through Friday.

Duarte can be found at the intersection of McCabe and Yourman Road in El Centro. His passion is fruits, all of them. "Persimmons are the only fruit that can be eaten ripe and soft very few things in the world are good in every stage of their life," said Duarte.

Duarte says when fall arrives he brings fruits and stands on this corner.
People come and grab fruits. Many seem to already know what they’re looking for.

Duarte says the quality of the fruits keeps the same people coming back.
A couple of months ago he tested positive for COVID and says it was fruits that helped him feel better.

“I got some oranges cut them and made some juice at home, made some lemonade and nothing happened I was the same. That’s what is healthy right now for the pandemic, the juices. Orange juice, lemonade, grapefruit, all that is healthy for the pandemic,” said Duarte.

One of the most noticeable things in at his fruit post is the American and Mexican flags standing tall next to each other. Duarte says that he put them when the pandemic began as a symbol of unity. “Those two flags mean a lot right now with the pandemic, when they see the flags it grabs people’s attention they see Mexico and the U.S. united and let’s all get along,” he added.

At the end of the day all the food he doesn’t sell he donates to a local rehabilitation center.

Duarte says he is committed to continuing to feed the people of El Centro. Pandemic or no pandemic, he will be at the same intersection.

See how this fruit stand comes to life, coming up on News 11's Evening Edition at 6 p.m. (MST).