CENTRAL COAST — This Saturday, June 13th, the farmworkers’ rights group “Feeding the Frontline: Feeding our Farmworkers” will join with Latino activists and donors throughout California and Washington State to provide food distribution events for farm-working families who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic even while working to feed Americans. These efforts will include events in six agricultural counties throughout California, including Ventura, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Tulare, Fresno, and San Benito counties.
“This pandemic underscores the invaluable contributions farmworkers provide our communities, state, and nation,” shared Roberto Juarez, who heads Clinicas Del Camino Real, an organization helping lead Saturday’s events. “What COVID-19 has done to farm workers is to simply lay bare and even exacerbate the inequities they were already facing – ranging from health care disparities to poor living conditions and low wages that families simply cannot live on. That’s why ‘Feeding the Frontline’ is committed to expressing our profound appreciation for the sacrifices our farmworkers are making to feed our communities. They have earned our support on these issues and we must help address these unjust disparities.”
Feeding the Frontline has hosted 17 events in Ventura County, California, since beginning in April. The all-volunteer group has provided over 7,000 farmworkers and their families with 200 tons of warm meals, groceries, and personal protective equipment. Saturday’s events will span the state and are supported by The Central Coast Health Network of California, Clinicas Del Camino Real, The Port of Hueneme, The VC Local Love Project, Reiter Farms, Ruby’s Restaurant, and Gloria’s Restaurant, among others. Similar events in Washington State are being led by Yakima Valley Farm Workers’ Clinic.
For additional information regarding Feeding the Frontline, visit https://www.feedingourfarmworkers.org/. A new video ad from the organization is also available in English and Spanish. Finally, the group is also raising $15,000 to provide farmworkers with groceries, supplies, and public health information – donations can be made at https://bit.ly/frontline805.
Feeding the Frontline’s California food distribution events for Saturday, June 13, 2020 include:
Ventura County:
Time/Location: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Oxnard, California (500 N. Juanita Avenue Oxnard, California)
Press contact: Richard Castaniero, (805) 701-7441, ric.castaniero@gmail.com
Interviewee: Roberto Juarez, CEO Clinicas del Camino Real, (805) 207-6322, rjuarez@clinicas.org
Santa Barbara County:
Time/Location: Press availability from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the CHC Skyway Administration Building (2318 Skyway Drive Santa Maria, California)
Press contact: Magdalena Serrano, (805) 458-4247, Mserrano@chccc.org
Interviewee: Noemi Velasquez, Behavioral Health Outreach Coordinator, (805) 458-4247, Noemiv@chccc.org
Monterey County (first site):
Time/Location: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at Clinica de Salud de Valle de Salinas (808 Oak Avenue Greenfield, California)
Press contact: Erick Lopez, (831) 240-1220, elopez@csvs.org
Interviewee: Dr. Maximiliano Cuevas, CEO Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, (831) 682-4538, mcuevas@csvs.org
Monterey County (second site):
Time/Location: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at Clinica de Salud de Valle de Salinas (219 N. Sanborn Road Salinas, California)
Press contact: Erick Lopez, (831) 240-1220, elopez@csvs.org
Interviewee: Dr. Maximiliano Cuevas, CEO Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, (831) 682-4538, mcuevas@csvs.org
San Benito County:
Time/Location: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at San Juan Elementary School (100 Nyland Drive San Juan Bautista, California)
Press contact: Jorge Terrones, (831) 902-8883, jterrones@sanbenitohealth.org
Interviewee: Rosa Vivian Fernandez, CEO San Benito Health Foundation, (831) 245-6577, rosavivian@aol.com
Tulare County:
Time/Location: 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Altura Health Center (16686 Road 168 Woodville, California)
Press contact: Erica Cubas, (559) 930-0065, ecubas@altura.org
Interviewee: Graciela Soto, CEO Altura Health Center, (559) 471-8058, gsoto@altura.org
Fresno County:
Time/Location: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Cantua Community Building (29595 W. Latta Avenue Cantua Creek, California)
Press contact and Interviewee: Chucho Mendoza, (559) 540-1621, jesus.mendoza@ccejn.org.