Freeze relief is on the way for farm workers
The cold weather that settled in Southwest Florida for almost two weeks in January left hardships on our local farm workers. The freeze caused not only crop damage but a freeze in over 1,500 farmer workers income. Not being able to work means that workers are not able to feed their families.
In a collaborative effort, The Salvation Army along with Harry Chapin Food Bank and United Way are working together to make sure that these families have food to eat. The major growers in the Southwest Florida region have been proactive in supporting the agencies with food and distribution sites. The need to keep the farmer workers in the area is essential to the local economy. When the next crops are ready for harvest, there needs to be workers to pick and package the fruits and vegetables. If the workers have left the area to seek employment in other states, the growers would again be at a lost.
“These are struggling families who make a living by what the land produces, ” said Major Art Penhale, Corps Officer for Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties. “The freeze has crippled the workers to the point where they can’t feed their families. We are just doing our part to make sure we help those in need,” stated Penhale.
The food distribution will be at farm camps in Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties. Additional distributions will be done at local housing communities where 80 to 90 percent of the residents are farm workers. Over one thousand people have registered at the farm camps to receive food assistance. The Salvation Army and its partner agencies will see this project through for possibly the next eight weeks.