Growers Establish Foundation To Help Farmworkers With Child Care, Health Care and Education

PRESS RELEASE

MAITLAND, Fla., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida farmers have launched a
new foundation to benefit farmworkers, announcing today an initial round of
$160,000 in funding for three programs related to child care, health care and
education for the farmworker community in South Florida.
For its inaugural projects, the Farmworker Community Support Foundation
has chosen to work with Collier Health Services and the Redlands Christian
Migrant Association, both in Immokalee, and with Homestead-based Women United
in Justice, Education & Reform (MUJER).
"The grower community has a long history of supporting farmworkers in a
variety of ways. Through the Farmworker Community Support Foundation, we can
direct our outreach in additional targeted ways. We're very enthusiastic about
the projects that we've selected and are excited to be working with some very
strong community groups," said Orlando attorney Brad Hester, chairman of the
FCSF board. "We look forward to helping many more farmworker organizations and
projects in the years to come." FCSF has raised more than $300,000 from
Florida tomato growers so far.
The foundation is awarding $30,000 to CHS Healthcare to fund dental care
for more than 500 pregnant women. Research shows a direct link between poor
dental hygiene and premature births. With the much-needed funds, CHS will be
able to provide a basic dental exam, teeth cleaning and problem resolution as
part of its program directed at farmworker mothers and their children.
"CHS Healthcare is pleased to be working with the Farmworker Community
Support Foundation to enhance the health of the migrant and seasonal farm
workers in Eastern Collier County," said Mike Ellis, director of community
development for the agency.
The FCSF also will grant the Redlands Christian Migrant Association a
total of $100,000, with a $50,000 challenge grant dedicated to the Wimauma
Academy, an RCMA charter school for farmworker children. RCMA will use the
funding to add middle-school grades, which will help an additional 60
children. The new space will include seven classrooms, a music/art room,
teacher area, kitchen and cafeteria.
The other $50,000 grant will be used for an early-childhood education
program for more than 20 children of farmworkers and other low-income children
in Immokalee. RCMA, along with other non-profit organizations including Child
Care of Southwest Florida, Guadalupe and Immokalee Child Care, will manage the
early-learning program.
"This generous funding will provide child care for children who are
falling through the cracks in terms of qualifying for government-subsidized
programs," said Barbara Mainster, executive director of RCMA. "The children
desperately need the experience of an early-learning program, and we're
pleased the Farmworker Community Support Foundation is helping to close this
gap. The fact that RCMA is working collaboratively with all the child care
centers in Immokalee makes it even more special."
The FCSF also is granting MUJER $30,000 to support its "Project Vida" - a
program that provides HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention services to male
farmworkers living in Miami-Dade, Collier and Hillsborough counties. MUJER
also plans to provide prevention kits and encourage testing for HIV and other
sexually transmitted diseases to recipients receiving assistance.
"As a third-generation migrant worker, I understand that most farmworkers
live in isolated communities, away from mainstream society," said Susan Reyna,
MUJER's executive director. "Access to services and information about
important health concerns are not readily available, so that is why we are
really excited about our partnership with Florida growers. We will use the
grant to take important health information to the farm fields of Homestead,
Immokalee and Ruskin. Farmworkers have been totally receptive to learning
about HIV/AIDS, and many have already received testing."
In addition to Hester, an Orlando attorney, other members of the
foundation's board of directors are Bob Spencer, vice president of sales and
marketing for Palmetto, Fla.-based West Coast Tomato; Wes Wheeler, a Winter
Haven attorney; and Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida
Tomato Growers Exchange.

SOURCE Farmworker Community Support Foundation
-0- 03/24/2009
/CONTACT: Brad Hester of Farmworker Community Support Foundation, +1-407-
448-3993, bhester@millersouth.com; or Mike Ellis, Director of Corporate
Development, Collier Health Services, +1-239-658-3138, mellis@collier.org,
www.collier.org; or Barbara Mainster, Executive Director, Redlands Christian
Migrant Association, +1-800-282-6540, Barbara@rcma.org, www.rcma.org; or Susan
Rubio Rivera, Executive Director, MUJER Inc., +1-305-247-1388,
susan@mujerfla.org, www.mujerfla.org /
/Web site: http://www.rcma.org
http://www.mujerfla.org /