The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs and Whole Foods Market Partner for National Farmworker Awareness Week to Collect Food for North Carolina’s Farmworkers
Cary, N.C. –On April 3, 2010, the North Carolina Farmworker Communities, in collaboration with the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs’ Children in the Fields Campaign, will partner with Whole Foods Market in Cary for a food drive. There will be a drop box located at the front of the store by the cash registers where customers can drop their donated non-perishable food items from 10 am to 3 pm. The collection is in honor of National Farmworker Awareness Week that began on March 29, and will end April 4. The donations collected at this event will help combat the increasing prevalence of food scarcities in the North Carolina farmworker community.
“Whole Foods Market in Cary is proud to partner with the North Carolina Farmworker Communities and the Children in the Fields Campaign during National Farmworker Awareness Week” said Dan Thomas, store team leader. “We hope the community of Cary will come out to support this great cause and help the farmworkers who harvest our food.”
Migrant farmworkers’ labor contributes to the $1.8 billion in revenue generated by agriculture in North Carolina every year. These farmworkers play an essential role in ensuring the foods Americans depend on to live a healthy lifestyle are available. A troubled economy and the unpredictability of the agriculture industry, including: drought, excessive rain, pest infestation, wage and hour issues, and a lack of worker compensation and protection, have made migrant farmworkers particularly vulnerable, leading to increasingly common food shortages. Currently, half of all migrant farmworker households are unable to afford an adequate supply of food for their families.
“Migrant farmworkers in North Carolina make around $6,500, on average, each year,” said Peter Eversoll of North Carolina Farmworker Communities. “Failed crops, a low yield, and other unexpected disruptions can cause a severe decrease in their annual income, leading to a food crisis for migrant farmworkers and their families.”
For more information on the food drive please contact Emily Drakage (919)749-3629, or visit www.afop.org for more ways to help migrant farmworkers and their families.
About the Children in the Fields Campaign:
The Children in the Fields Campaign is a project of the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP). The campaign strives to improve the quality of life of migrant and seasonal farmworker children by advocating for enhanced educational opportunities and the elimination of discriminatory federal child labor laws in agriculture. AFOP is the national federation of non-profit and public agencies that provide job training and services for America’s farmworkers. For additional comment or interview from an AFOP expert, please contact Ayrianne Parks at (202) 828-6006 x140 or Parks@AFOP.org
