Bringing Community Agencies Together through an Annual Summit

Opening a Dialogue with Growers through a Growers’ Survey

Convening Head Start Community Partners at an Annual Meeting

Reaching Out to Farmworker Men via a Soccer Tournament Event

Calming Fears and Opening Communication between Farmworkers and Law

Addressing More than Farmworkers’ Health Needs

Combining Literacy and Nutrition Education for Farmworker Children

Monthly Newsletter of Community Events and Resources for Farmworkers

Columbia Basin Health Association Emphasizes Family-Centered Health Care

Hosting a Health Fair with the Mexican Consulate

Creating a Safety Net for Homeless Farmworkers

Holiday Dinner Brings Farmworkers Together in Celebration

Empowering Oaxacan Farmworkers through Monthly Community Meetings

Encouraging Home Gardening through the Raíces (Roots) Program

Collaborating with the Mexican Consulate to Issue ID Cards

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Bringing Community Agencies Together through an Annual Summit
2007, North Carolina Farmworker Health Program top

In 2005, North Carolina Farmworker Health Program (NCFHP) held the first Farmworker Summit and Networking Event to bring farmworker-serving advocacy agencies together. This has become an annual program coordinated in collaboration with other members of the North Carolina Farmworker Institute, an interagency project of the Farmworker Ministry Committee and funded through participant registration fees ($15 per person) and local sponsorships. In 2006, about 100 people representing approximately 35 organizations attended the day-long event. Session topics included the following: legal rights of farmworkers, trends in H2A recruitment, participatory educational techniques, college access for undocumented students, and ways for religious congregations to support farmworkers during the harvest season. During the closing plenary, there was a dinner and multi-media presentation titled, Nuestras Historias/Nuestros Sueños: Our History/Our Dreams – Educational Aspirations of Immigrant Farmworkers and their Families.

For several years, there was not a coordinated effort in North Carolina to bring together farmworker advocates from various disciplines, including health, education, legal rights, advocacy, and regulatory agencies. Individuals from these organizations expressed various needs, including:1) the need to collaborate more and make the most of limited resources; 2) the importance of agencies targeting farmworkers to be informed about what other organizations are doing; and, 3) the need for farmworker groups to be informed about national issues that affect the well-being of farmworkers in the state. The Farmworker Summit and Networking Event successfully responded to these requests bringing together a large interdisciplinary group of individuals from across the state. Overall, the response has been very positive and participants have encouraged the continuation of this event.


Opening a Dialogue with Growers through a Growers’ Survey
2007, Northwest Michigan Health Services, Inc. top

NMHSI designed and conducted a survey with over 30 growers in the tri-county service area of one of its clinic sites. The objective of the survey was to discover perceptions of farmworker health issues and barriers to care from the growers’ perspectives. In addition, growers were asked about: 1) the location of farmworker housing areas; 2) how they recruit farmworkers; 3) the percentage of farmworkers who return each year; 4) how the growers prefer to be approached and contacted by NMHSI; and, 5) whether they would be open to hosting an outreach clinic on their property, ensuring minimal workers’ time lost due to travel to and from the clinic. Most of the surveys were conducted over the phone and in person and took place during the off-peak season when the growers were not as busy. Some growers expressed their unfamiliarity with local resources and requested materials in Spanish for their workers. All interviews were followed up with a thank you letter and relevant informational materials about the organization and other community resources.

Maintaining positive relationships and open dialogue with growers supports the health and well-being of farmworkers. The survey opened a forum for discussion and exchange of information with growers. It also reinforced anecdotal evidence that the vast majority of growers in NMHSI’s service area care about the welfare of their farmworkers. As a result of this survey, NMHSI was invited to set up four outreach clinics on growers’ premises. In addition, because the survey allowed NMHSI to quantify for the first time the number of farmworkers in the area who are monolingual Spanish speakers, NMHSI has set up a language assistance program in the community for the benefit of all community-based providers who serve Spanish-speaking patients. Based on last year’s successes with this survey, NMHSI plans to repeat the project this year in the service areas of its other two clinic sites.


Convening Head Start Community Partners at an Annual Meeting
2007, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, North Carolina Direct Services top

The East Coast Migrant Head Start Project North Carolina Direct Services (ECMHSP/NCDS) organizes and hosts an annual Community Partners Meeting for each of its Head Start Centers in North Carolina. The meeting brings together service providers and other potential community partners to lay the ground work for better collaboration to improve services for children and families. Representatives from numerous local, state, and regional organizations attend this one-day meeting, including: local health departments, private providers, community health centers, social service agencies, community colleges, universities, mental health providers, the North Carolina Farmworker Health Program, and the Agricultural Resource Center’s Pesticide Education unit among others. The meeting is split into three general segments: 1) a Health and Family/Community Partnership session, 2) a catered networking lunch and 3) an Early Childhood Education and Family Literacy/Disability session. Participants are welcome to attend the entire meeting or the segments of their choice. The meeting is scheduled before the center is open for the peak season and is a component of ECMHSP/NCDS’s planning process.

ECMHSP/NCDS has taken collaboration to a new level by expanding beyond farmworker-serving organizations to address the health and social service needs of farmworkers in North Carolina. This unique cross section of partners would not ordinarily be at the same table together. By giving them an opportunity to meet and share information, unique and effective service delivery plans are often developed.

For the past four years, this meeting has yielded numerous fruitful outcomes, such as nutrition and physical education training for teachers, ESL classes for parents, health fairs for migrant children, expedited Medicaid services for families, and pesticide education classes for parents and staff. These collaborative initiatives are essential to address Migrant and Seasonal Head Start’s Performance Standards, and ultimately yield more effective and efficient programs for serving farmworkers and their families in the state.


Reaching Out to Farmworker Men via a Soccer Tournament Event
2007, Benton County Health Department top

Last year, the Benton County Health Department (BCHD) organized the 1st Annual Benton County Soccer Tournament and Family Weekend over two days in August. The goal of the event was to attract a large number of farmworker families, particularly the men of the family. In support of the event, the BCHD administration proposed this idea to a Benton County Commissioner, who in turn provided funding to rent the soccer fields for two days.

Eight local and regional recreational soccer teams played in approximately 18 hours of soccer matches over the weekend. The County Commissioner presented the trophies following the championship match. With little funding to host the event, BCHD’s promotores/as secured support and donations from local businesses for time, money, food, water, prizes and even a DJ. In addition to the tournament, a community resource fair was organized with over 30 community agencies. One of the key community partners to participate was the Lion’s Club who provided health screenings on their mobile health unit and worked closely with the Benton Community Health Center to organize follow-up medical care. Approximately 400 people attended this event.


Recognizing the difficulty of reaching Latino men with health services, the idea for this event came from one of the health promotores/as who felt that it would offer a non-threatening environment to men. The added benefit though was that in organizing a soccer tournament, the men’s families also came out to participate, cheer on the teams, and take advantage of all that the weekend event had to offer. BCHD staff were present throughout the weekend to share information on medical, dental, and mental health services. In addition, the smooth collaboration between the Lion’s Club and the community health center to schedule appointments immediately after the screenings increased the likelihood that participants would receive follow-up health care services even after the weekend event was over.


Calming Fears and Opening Communication between Farmworkers and Law Enforcement
2007, Ellenton Health Clinic Farmworker Health Program top

Following an outbreak of violent and deadly home invasions against Latino farmworkers in two South Georgia counties, the Ellenton Health Clinic Farmworker Health Program (“Ellenton Clinic”) served as a safe haven of understanding, awareness, and advocacy for the farmworker community. Committed to cultural responsiveness, the Clinic Director invited the local sheriff’s department, the US Department of Justice, Colquitt County Cooperative Extension Service, MALDEF (the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund), the Superintendent of Schools for Colquitt County, and the Southern Pines Migrant Education Agency to discuss concerns at two community forums and help allay the fears of the farmworker community during this difficult period. Concerned farmworkers were able to raise the following issues: 1) their mistrust of and inability to access the banking system; 2) the lack of Spanish-speaking law enforcement officers and 911 dispatchers; 3) the lack of proper housing available to undocumented workers; and 4) the fear that if they report crimes, they themselves might get deported as a result. The clinic provided space and translation services for two of these community forums.

Because many farmworkers are unable to open bank accounts and subsequently forced to keep a lot of cash at home, they become easy targets for violence. Organizing these community meetings brought the community together during a time when fears could have grown into explosive divisiveness. The Ellenton Clinic successfully demonstrated the role that community organizations can play in facilitating dialogue among city, county, and federal officials on behalf of the farmworker community. At the community forum, the 75-person classroom overflowed with participants. Farmworkers attended these meetings because clinic outreach staff were effective in making them feel safe enough to attend. The Ellenton Clinic continues to support the farmworker community by: 1) providing home safety education to farmworkers; 2) collaborating with the Justice Department to create an ongoing community committee to address these issues; 3) educating the farmworker community about the US banking system; and, 4) partnering with the University of Georgia Archway Partnership to advocate that the banking community offer alternative banking services to farmworkers.


Addressing More than Farmworkers’ Health Needs
2006, Family Health Services top

Family Health Services (FHS) employs a Community Services Coordinator (CSC) to assist farmworker patients at FHS’s eight sites, including its mobile unit. The patients referred to the CSC for case management are primarily individuals with needs outside of the scope of medical, dental or behavioral health treatment, such as financial assistance, employment, services for the elderly and Medicaid. The CSC travels to each site on a weekly basis to obtain referrals and to contact patients by phone or in person. Patients are provided with information on community resources, what verification or documentation they will need to provide to successfully receive help, and instructions on how to make appropriate appointments. The CSC thoroughly documents her interaction with each patient and this information is then routed to the referring provider and the patient’s medical record.

Family Health Services makes a point not to limit services to farmworkers because their needs are so unique and FHS wants to be as responsive as possible. The role of the Community Services Coordinator at FHS expands the reach of case management beyond the health center’s services. The CSC keeps abreast of all available programs and resources in the communities where FHS operates, to ensure that patients receive comprehensive and detailed information on different types of assistance. The CSC’s services are so well known that she is often contacted for assistance by individuals who are not yet patients at FHS but who have heard of her services through friends and family. If they so desire, these individuals have the opportunity to establish patient care at FHS in addition to receiving information about community resources and services.


Combining Literacy and Nutrition Education for Farmworker Children
2006, Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc. top

Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc. (DMCHC) is one of over 2,200 clinics and hospitals nationwide partnering with Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. and the Reach Out and Read® (ROR) program. Children are provided with age, culture and language appropriate books at their wellness check-ups and health promoters read aloud to children in health center waiting rooms, modeling reading techniques for parents. DMCHC also conducts home visits with farmworker families where they speak to families about the importance and benefits of reading aloud to children. The health promoters also promote good nutrition through “Darin’s Eat and Read Club” where both parents and children are invited to the health center every 3rd Friday of the month for fun reading and nutritional promotion activities.

By reading and modeling story-telling to children, DMCHC staff members are introducing the activities of reading and story-telling to both children and parents, regardless of a parent’s ability to read. This program helps children to improve motor skills by encouraging them to become more comfortable with holding and manipulating books. It also allows physicians and staff to assess whether or not an individual child’s cognitive and motor skills are up to par. The ROR program provides health education messages through books with specific health themes (Vegetable Garden, Everyone Eats Rice, and the Cheerios Counting Book) and through the nutrition education sessions conducted during Darin’s Eat and Read Club. Lastly, having parents involved in health education sessions with their children encourages the children to make smart nutritional choices in the future.


Monthly Newsletter of Community Events and Resources for Farmworkers
2005, Southeast Missouri Health Network: Farmworker/Community Health & Resources top

Southeast Missouri Health Network’s (SEMO) Farmworker/Community Health & Resources program distributes a monthly newsletter, Cosechando la Noticia, to farmworkers across their five county service area. The newsletter highlights community events, educational and training opportunities, and programs and resources available to farmworkers through private and government agencies. Highlights also include information on programs available across SEMO’s six clinic sites and through their outreach program. Newsletter submissions are collected each month from SEMO’s Farmworker Advisory Council, made up of area farmworker serving agencies, state and local government agencies, universities, area hospitals, and churches. The newsletter is distributed to farmworkers at all SEMO clinic sites, as well as through SEMO outreach workers and promotoras, SEMO’s food distribution program, outreach and case management home visits, and through other SEMO sponsored events such as tai chi classes, legal aid, and fair housing and renters’ seminars.

Through the creation of Cosechando la Noticia, Southeast Missouri Health Network has effectively utilized resources in their organization and community to reach a large number of farmworkers with a needed service. Cosechando la Noticia is the only Spanish-language publication in the surrounding five county area, and SEMO has led local efforts to gather submissions and distribute the newsletter at a variety of locations. The result of their effort has been increased knowledge in the farmworker community of area services, programs, and community activities, increased knowledge of SEMO among farmworkers and other agencies, and increased networking between the six SEMO sites and the SEMO Farmworker Advisory Council member organizations.


Columbia Basin Health Association Emphasizes Family-Centered Health Care
2005, Columbia Basin Health Association top

Rather than focusing on the individual patient in isolation, CBHA places special emphasis on the importance of the family in meeting health needs. With this purpose in mind, CBHA combines a number of outreach practices to focus and appropriately include family members in health care. These practices include extended hours so that patients don’t have to miss work to receive car for themselves or a family member; transportation services to bring families to the center; participation in community coalitions focused on providing a safety net for farmworkers; advocacy for farmworker families’ needs such as housing, employment, opportunities/training, educational opportunities and access to other community services; sponsorship of activities to help families in times of need such as an annual food basket drive during Thanksgiving and a toy drive during Christmas; and health presentations at schools, orchards/worksites, daycare centers, churches and other organizations that serve farmworkers.

Columbia Basin Health Association combines complimentary outreach services commonly offered, but does so with specific emphasis on the importance of the family and family support networks in preventive health care and disease maintenance and recovery. In doing so CBHA recognizes that many farmworker cultures are nuclear family centered, and individuals do not conduct personal and business affairs outside the family unit.


Hosting a Health Fair with the Mexican Consulate
2005, Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers top

Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers (SJFMC) jointly hosts a health fair each year at the beginning of the migrant season with the Mexican Consulate, drawing participation from area farmworker serving organizations and over 300 farmworkers. Farmworkers in attendance receive health information and health screenings along with passports and identification documents needed for getting bank accounts, employment, and other necessities. SJFMC outreach staff and promotores de salud perform health education skits and provide screenings, health information, and materials from the health center while farmworkers wait in line to meet with consular officials.

Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers has successfully combined two important services for farmworkers, medical and consular services. Through their health fair, SJFMC introduces itself to farmworkers new to the area or previously unaware of all the services offered by SJFMC, as well as reestablishes a relationship with farmworkers who reside or have been in the area before. By providing health services while farmworkers are waiting in line for consular services, SJFMC takes a step further in brining outreach services to farmworkers and makes accessing health services and information even easier for attendees. Creating a Safety Net for Homeless Farmworkers
2008, Community Health Centers of the Central Coast top

Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHC) has begun an inter- and intra-agency collaborative program specifically targeting homeless farmworkers which maximizes resources within the health center as well as within the community. Housing in CHC’s service area is particularly expensive and not only are there no labor camps, farmworkers are not allowed to park their cars in the fields, forcing many to sleep in parking lots and outside of local community hubs. In many cases, it is very difficult to tell who is homeless until night falls.

CHC’s Adobes de Mari farmworker clinic has joined forces with the organization’s mobile unit and the Healthcare for the Homeless Program in order to find homeless farmworkers and offer case management as well as screenings, medical care, and urgent care. Aside from intra-agency collaboration, the program also works with other local organizers, farm companies, agencies, charities, as well as several Mixteco organizations such as Unidad Popular Benito Juarez to do referrals and organize community events. This unique collaboration, both internal and external to the organization, has opened many doors for the program to gain greater access to and better serve the population.

The program’s case managers follow the promotora model. Many of the case managers have been homeless themselves. As a result, they are better able to understand a diagnosis of anemia from lack of food or a communicable disease from lack of health access. The program also utilizes innovative community building methods to find farmworkers, such as organizing cultural events offering free food, or projecting documentary films in farmworker housing areas, and then conducting health outreach afterwards. As case managers speak with attendees at these events, they become aware of major issues such as mental health or basic necessities of life. The case managers make referrals to the clinic, the mobile unit, or any number of other collaborating agencies, which brings the community together to achieve better health follow-up and outcomes within the homeless farmworker population.


Holiday Dinner Brings Farmworkers Together in Celebration
2008, Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers top

In December 2003, Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers (SJFMC) hosted its first Farmworker Holiday Dinner. The purpose of the dinner is to provide farmworkers with a fun, social activity full of both treats and necessities around the holiday season. Many farmworker families who stay in isolated camps year round are in need of a celebration; the cold winter season can depress farmworkers who find themselves away from their families during the holidays.

Aside from supporting farmworkers who are alone during the holiday season, the Farmworker Holiday Dinner is also an event in which the general community reaches out to local farmworkers. Community churches and private citizens donate food, gifts, and time to this event to make it special. Church members first clean up for the dinner and then prepare and serve platters of holiday favorites.

Volunteers put “Angel Trees” on display based on a list of farmworker families compiled for them by the outreach department of SJFMC. Church members pick a farmworker family that they would like to sponsor and then provide both presents for the children and general goods for the family under each tree. Single adult farmworkers are also given gifts. Tables of other miscellaneous donated items are set up as well.

In addition to food and gifts, various entertainers volunteer to perform at the dinner. A DJ provides musical entertainment and a clown comes to share treats and play games with the kids. There is even a volunteer Santa Claus who greets the children and distributes small gifts. Farmworker service organizations also come to help out and tell people about their services. The Farmworker Holiday Dinner is a fun night for the whole community at a time when being with others is so important.


Empowering Oaxacan Farmworkers through Monthly Community Meetings
2008, Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project top

Since 2001, the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) has been empowering the 20,000 indigenous Oaxacan farmworkers in Ventura County who face linguistic and cultural barriers to health care. In monthly community meetings, an average of 200 Mixtec families come together to share a communal meal, exchange information and concerns in their own language, receive assistance with the necessities of life (i.e., food, clothing, and disposable diapers), and develop a strong collective voice. The meetings offer an excellent forum for presenting health-related information, collaborating with public and private service agencies, and assisting community members to access medical services.

The community meeting approach is culturally appropriate and effective because it draws on the inherent strengths and communication style of the indigenous community it serves, with an emphasis on cultural pride and language preservation. The Mixtec traditional community service model, where everyone is expected to share in the work of maintaining the community, aids the functioning of the meetings. Also, because Mixtec is a non-written language, verbal exchanges and interactive presentations are the most effective approaches to communication. Cultural events are celebrated as well such as “Children’s Day” and Guelaguetza, a traditional holiday where Oaxacans renew their commitment to contributing to the betterment of their community. Also, instead of banning children at meetings, a degree of disruption is accepted as a small price to pay for enabling entire families to attend.

Mixtec health promoters are a key example of the leadership development that MICOP embraces; they play a critical role in organizing these monthly meetings. They serve as community health advocates and have assisted the community in demanding culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Their efforts have resulted in the hiring of over a dozen Mixtec interpreters and outreach workers at health care agencies. The visibility and leverage of the Mixtec community in Ventura County and beyond has increased immeasurably due to this program.


Encouraging Home Gardening through the Raíces (Roots) Program
2008, La Clínica del Cariño Family Health Care Center, Inc. and Nuestra Comunidad Sana, a program of The Next Door, Inc. top

Raíces, a partnership program of La Cliníca del Cariño’s (LCDL) Vida Entera y Sana project and Nuestra Communidad Sana (NCS), encourages farmworker families to reconnect with their cultural roots of growing their own food, adopting healthier food choices, being more active, coming together in community, and taking pride in reconnecting with their history. The objectives of the Raíces program are: 1) to encourage families to grow home gardens using organic methods; 2) to build community, social support, and self-sufficiency through gardening in ways that honor Latino cultural traditions; and, 3) to examine the impact of gardening on eating habits and food security.

Raíces has completed three growing seasons, with a total of 46 families participating and 287 people touched by the program. Participants were first invited to attend an orientation where healthy food was served. The families continued to meet regularly to socialize, and share information, tips, and extra vegetables. Families taught each other canning and freezing methods to battle food insecurity year round. Those without gardening space were encouraged to use the clinic’s community garden or other creative alternatives. A Harvest Fiesta is held each fall with music and a piñata for families to enjoy the fruits of their gardens together.

The dramatic impact of Raíces is demonstrated by data gathered on families before and after having a garden. The number of adults eating vegetables several times a day increased by 140% (117% for children). The number of adults skipping meals because the family ran out of money decreased by 78% (100% for children). In addition,
Raíces
has helped to: 1) teach children that vegetables are rewarding, delicious, and nutritious; 2) create health promoter families who continue to take leadership in the community; 3) re-establish the cultural norm among Latino farmworkers of growing their own food; and 4) counteract the societal norm of “produce deserts” in poor areas.


Collaborating with the Mexican Consulate to Issue ID Cards
2008, Central Florida Health Care, Inc. top

Central Florida Health Care, Inc. (CFHC) collaborates with the Mexican Consulate to provide farmworkers in its service area with a Matricula Consular, a document that identifies an individual as a citizen of Mexico and provides other important information such as a person’s name and birth date. Considering the multiple barriers farmworkers face in obtaining a U.S. driver’s license or even a Mexican passport, having a government-issued Mexican ID provides them with several benefits. This ID can help farmworkers open bank accounts and eliminate the need to routinely carry large amounts of cash, a practice which often makes farmworkers a target for crime. The Matricula Consular can also greatly assist authorities in the unfortunate event of a medical emergency.

Many farmworkers are unable to go to a consulate office to get a Matricula Consular due to inflexible work hours and lack of transportation. To overcome these barriers, a community health worker at CFHC scheduled the Mexican Consulate to give a talk at an annual health fair about how farmworkers can access consular services. Many farmworkers attended the presentation, making it a huge success. Upon seeing the vast interest in Matriculas Consulares, the Mexican Consulate returned to the community with a network of computers and issued 225 IDs to individuals who had no prior form of identification.

Like many collaborations, this one started as an individual’s humble idea and turned into a responsive project benefiting a large number of people. CFHC will continue assisting area farmworkers through this collaboration with the Mexican Consulate in the future.