Help improve the lives of farm workers in the West.
The Farm Worker Fund (FWF) is a donor-supported effort to assist significant projects that benefit farm workers and their families. In many communities, a small FWF award invariably leads to other RCAC activities and successes. The following six projects were awarded grants from donors' 2006 contributions:
Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) in Chico, California, is working to expand its current homeownership counseling services to targeted farm worker communities in the organization’s service area. CHIP will use the Farm Worker Fund grant to pay for staff time to provide outreach, mileage reimbursement and training location costs for the expansion.
Child and Migrant Services (CMS) in Palisade, Colorado
will use its FWF award to help pay construction costs for an innovative
farm worker housing project. Growers will provide the land and CMS will
secure the funding necessary to place modular housing units on the land.
CMS will then lease the units back to the grower for their workers for
20 years. CMS will manage the units during that 20 year period. At the
end of the 20 years, the growers will take ownership of the units. RCAC
will further explore this model for its applicability to other areas.
Campesinos Sin Fronteras in Somerton, Arizona received
an FWF award to provide financial incentives (retail store vouchers
in the amount of $25) to 80 families. The incentives will be provided
to farm worker families to encourage them to participate in Campesinos
Sin Fronteras’ housing counseling services. Participating families
will receive education on mortgages, predatory lending and home maintenance
and credit building, which is a key step toward their overall well-being
and self-empowerment.
Housing Development Corporation in Hillsboro, Oregon will use its FWF award to pay for a consultant to provide training (two-day training, 12 hours total) to the organization’s staff to effectively integrate the use of the Rosetta Stone English language program into its promotores and resident programs.
Mendocino County Planning Team in Ukiah, California
will use its FWF grant to prepare, plan and help conduct a series of
stakeholder meetings to further develop a farm worker housing needs
survey instrument. Farm worker housing is sorely needed in this part
of the state, but has been vehemently opposed in the past. This effort
will help bridge information and relationship gaps so that subsequent
farm worker housing proposals will have wider support. The study is
expected to involve and gain support of industry and community stakeholder
groups, and ensure farm worker participation.
Office of Rural & Farmworker Housing (ORFH) in Yakima, Washington will use its FWF award to support a two-day Asset Management Conference for farm worker housing, sponsored by ORFH, CASA of Oregon and Idaho Migrant Council. The funds will primarily pay for speaker fees and scholarships for low-income and nonprofit registrants.
In the fall of 2005, the Farm Worker Fund awarded its first grants. Five projects in four states were chosen. FY2005 Grantees include:
Calistoga Affordable Housing (CAH) in Calistoga, California. CAH received a grant for a housing preservation project. The project will preserve eight units of affordable housing in the high cost Napa Valley area of Calistoga.
Child and Migrant Services in Palisade, Colorado. Child and Migrant Services received a Farm Worker Fund award for a farm worker empowerment project. Through the project, workers will help plan and implement a community center.
Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation in San Miguel, New Mexico. Tierra Del Sol Housing Corporation received a Farm Worker Fund award to support a resource development project and help organize residents to identify strategies for accessing supportive health, social, employment, security and community services.
The Town of Mattawa, in Washington state. The Town of Mattawa received a Farm Worker Fund award to assist with its cost-sharing project. The grant will support the community’s costs for a Vista volunteer position.
Washington Farm Worker Housing Trust in Washington State. The grant will support the Trust’s work in developing a comprehensive status report of farm worker housing in the state.
Contributors to RCAC’s Farm Worker Fund help ensure the individuals who toil in our fields and orchards to produce America’s bounty of wholesome and nutritious food have a dignified place to call home and access to health care services.
Your contributions do make a difference!
