This update comes to us from Melinda Wiggins, Executive Director for Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF).
SAF’s PPE packets.
It has been a long year, but I am pleased to share that our Into the Fields program is back in the fields. We launched this year’s internship and leadership development program with an online orientation. The 25 SAF interns moved to communities in North & South Carolina where they will live and work for the 10 week program.
SAF is partnering with 15 health clinics, migrant education programs, migrant head start, legal services, and community groups to facilitate farmworkers’ ability to get culturally and linguistically appropriate information about COVID prevention, testing, and vaccinations. SAF interns are working with partners to prepare hygiene kits, PPE packets, and food boxes for outreach and events, creating educational materials, and conducting in-person and online workshops and videos for workers. Interns working with mobile clinics are visiting labor camps to provide testing and vaccines and assisting workers that have tested positive with referrals to resources.
SAF put together 1025 PPE packets for farmworkers.
The interns will also conduct know your rights trainings, teach ESL and mentor migrant youth. They will support our advocacy of immigration reform, raising wages, and heat stress protections, share information through our Conéctate Carolina app, and conduct participatory theater and documentary projects with workers.
I am grateful for your support of our work. I wanted to send a special shout out to those who helped us distribute $120,000 through our Farmworker Emergency Fund during the pandemic.
Grants to PHP partners are possible thanks to the gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing.