Help Support Farmworkers & Their Families

UPDATE: January, 2023

The Farmworker Fund is still needed for these farmworkers and their families. COVID was difficult, but now they are dealing with flooding and reeling from the emotional impact of the horror of violence. If you ca help this community, please consider donating items or donating funds.

Thank you.

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There are approximately 420,000 farmworkers in California. In the United States over a third of the country's vegetables and two-thirds of the country's fruits and nuts are grown in California. Thousands of them work in the shadow of the prosperous Silicon Valley and this is an effort to provide strong and meaningful support for these amazing, dedicated workers and their families during the COVID Crisis. California's farmworkers are overwhelmed with Covid-19 fears, wildfire smoke, low pay and weakening of their overall health combined with mental stress that everyone is going through because of the Pandemic. They are working twice as hard during the heatwave and fires while getting paid less because much of the harvest has been ruined by ash and smoke and they are paid by piece work. Please help us support these essential workers who are putting food on the tables of everyone across the USA.

This effort was begun by San Jose community leader, Darlene Tenes, when she realized the difficult circumstances that the farmworkers were put in when the COVID-19 Virus first broke out. Here were thousands of farmworkers having to work to provide food for others, while they toiled extra-long hours and endured more exposure to the COVID-19 virus than most communities. Darlene put out the call and soon citizens were filling cars with supplies and creating a Caravan to South Santa Clara County, San Juan Bautista, Salinas and other farmworker locations.

Now we have formed a partnership between Darlene Tenes, her many volunteers (many friends and family) and other San Jose community groups. San Jose Parks Foundation (a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization) stepped in to be the Fiscal Sponsor, ensuring that all donations are tax-deductibel and providing a strict accounting of all funds.

Funds will be used for the following:
Facemasks and PPE (personal protective equipment)
Non-perishable foods
Basic household needs
Premade family meals*

Visit the Farmworker Caravan website for more information on the work we have been doing.

*Meals will be purchased from small business owners.