ACTION ALERT: Call on Officials to Rush Assistance to Farmworkers without
water, power, homes and jobs in the Wake of Hurricanes Charley and Frances.
For more information contact: Lorette Picciano at lpicciano@ruralco.org,
or 202-628-7160, or Tirso Moreno in Florida at 407-886-5151(office)
September 9, 2004
Action Needed: Today, September 9 and in coming weeks.
Please forward widely!!!
ISSUE: Hurricanes Charley and Frances have hit farmworker
communities in several areas of Florida. Little attention has been placed
on the urgent needs of the farmworker communities, who remain without
essential services, emergency assistance, housing and jobs. The crisis is
likely to increase as another hurricane threatens and as thousands of
workers return to the state in coming weeks to find rental housing
destroyed and agricultural jobs eliminated as crops are destroyed.
ACTIONS:
1) Call media attention to the crisis facing farmworkers in Florida.
HOW: Copy the press release contained in the message below. Modify and
circulate it to your local media Add a local quote or contact information.
2) Contact Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman and urge her to make
emergency funds available to farmworker organizations.
HOW: Send a fax to Secretary Veneman at 202-720-2166 telling her you
agree with the request for emergency aid to farmworker groups in the
letter below. Or write your own letter.
3) Send or fax a copy of the Veneman letter to your members of Congress
and urge them to assure the Emergency Grants to Farmworkers program
receives adequate funding of at least $20 million in any emergency
disaster response bill.
HOW: Copy the attached letter. Call the US Capitol switchboard at
202-225-3121. Ask to be connected to your Senator¹s office, and ask them
for a Fax number - or - go to www.senate.gov and search for your member by
name, zip code or state.
4) Send contributions to assist Farmworker Association of Florida in
meeting urgent needs of Farmers.
HOW: A disaster relief fund has been set up by FWAF to assist farmworker
families. Make checks out to Farmworker Association of Florida with a
memo ³disaster relief.² Send tax-deductible contributions to FWAF at 815
South Park Avenue, Apopka, Florida 32703.
********************PRESS RELEASE For Local Media********************
Contacts: Lorette Picciano at lpicciano@ruralco.org, or 202-628-7160, or
Tirso Moreno in Florida at 407-886-5151(office) or 407-810-3330 (cell).
September 9, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Rural Coalition Calls on Federal Officials for Emergency Aid to Displaced
Farmworkers
Hurricanes Charley and Frances have rendered thousands of farmworkers who
work in the citrus, vegetable and nursery industries without power, water,
homes, jobs<and attention. ³The media and response teams are dealing with
big cities by the beach,² reported Tirso Moreno, Executive Director of the
Farmworker Association of Florida (FWAF). ³We are the ones who have to
bring out what is happening in our farmworker communities. In the Pearson
area of Volusia County, inland from Daytona Beach,² Moreno noted, ³people
don¹t have power or water and our staff has been unable to locate any
disaster assistance centers to serve them.²
The Rural Coalition wrote to Agriculture Ann Veneman urging her to use her
authority to make emergency grants to farmworker organizations, including
FWAF. ³We are looking for generators and to start a relief center,² said
Moreno.
According to Moreno, Hurricane Frances also devastated citrus and
vegetable growing areas along Route 441 from South Bay and Indian River
all the way to Lake Okeechobee. Governor Jeb Bush requested Moreno¹s
assistance in reaching farmworkers, he reported. ³But he has not provided
us with resources to send a team to assess conditions and connect them
with services. Many farmworkers believe<incorrectly-- that if they apply
for aid it will hurt their chances to legalize their residency in the
future.² After Hurricane Andrew, Moreno¹s group overcame this fear with a
door-to-door campaign to reach farmworker families with information on aid
available to them<but received support necessary to do so.
³USDA has a long history of responding to farm owners who have seen their
crops and farmland suffer from natural disasterSand is doing so now,² said
Rural Coalition Chairperson John Zippert in a letter urging Secretary
Veneman to make emergency grants to farmworker groups. ³The destruction of
cropsS has also left the workers without jobs. In a few weeks, 75% of the
farmworker population that works outside the state in the summer will be
returning to communities without work or housing. Most farmworkers do not
S receive the disaster aid that is routinely provided to farmers.² He
urged USDA to immediately use its resources and authority to assure this
sector of agriculture receives assistance it urgently needs.
A disaster relief fund has been set up by FWAF to assist farmworker
families. Make checks out to Farmworker Association of Florida with a
memo ³disaster relief.² Send tax-deductible contributions to FWAF at 815
South Park Avenue, Apopka, Florida 32703.
****LETTER TO SECRETARY VENEMAN*****
September 8, 2004
The Honorable Ann Veneman, Secretary
United States Department of Agriculture
Whitten Building
14th and Independence SW
Washington, DC 20250
Dear Secretary Veneman:
As you are aware, the recent disasters in Florida are having a huge impact
in rural areas. Nowhere are the effects more severe than among the
farmworker population in the state. We appeal to you now to immediately
exercise your authority under Section 10102 of the 2002 Farm Bill, to make
emergency grants to mitigate the suffering of Florida¹s low-income migrant
and seasonal farmworker population. We further urge you to consult and
meet with farmworker organizations working in the region to develop a more
comprehensive response plan to meet housing and other critical emergency
needs in coming weeks and months.
Our Board member, Tirso Moreno, Executive Director of the Farmworker
Association of Florida (FWAF) has underscored the urgent need for
immediate assistance. He reports that farmworkers in Volusia and
surrounding counties were hit hard by both storms. In the Pearson area,
inland from Daytona Beach, farmworker families are without water or power,
and the Farmworker Association of Florida staff has been unable to locate
any disaster assistance centers to serve them.
The other area devastated by Hurricane Frances was along Route 441 from
the shore at South Bay and Indian River all the way to Lake Okeechobee.
Mr. Moreno said the media is covering the big cities but has not yet
called attention to the devastation and overwhelming needs in the rural
areas. He and his staff are trying to send a team to assess conditions of
workers in this citrus and vegetable area.
In all, many thousands of farmworkers who previously picked crops,
processed produce or shipped commodities will be impacted economically by
these hurricanes. While these farmworkers guarantee a safe and consistent
supply of food and fiber to the population of our nation, they themselves
will not be able to make mortgage, utility, childcare, or housing repair
payments since 80 to 90% of most crops will not be harvested.
USDA has a long history of responding to farm owners who have seen their
crops and farmland suffer from natural disasters and local emergencies and
is doing so now. If you immediately exercise the grant making authority
referenced above, USDA will be able to bring relief to the many migrant
and seasonal farmworkers who have lost their sole source of income because
there are few or no crops left to harvest.
We encourage you to target these grants to tax-exempt community based
organizations that have experience in providing emergency services to
low-income migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
In particular, we urge you to provide emergency assistance to the FWAF
under section 10102 of the Farm Bill. Mr. Moreno informed us that
Governor Jeb Bush has contacted the FWAF, and made clear that only with
their assistance can FEMA and other emergency response agency reach the
farmworker communities. But as of yet, no resources have been made
available to allow the Farmworker Association to secure the staff needed
for a coordinated emergency response for this critical sector of the
agriculture community.
A grant from USDA would help significantly to assist FWAF with emergency
response activities for agricultural workers. At present, FWAF is seeking
resources to secure generators and set up disaster centers for farmworkers
in each region. Resources are also urgently needed to help FWAF and other
groups organize disaster response teams to go out into the farmworker
communities and assess needs and coordinate with FEMA, the Red Cross and
other sources of emergency aid. They accomplished this work successfully
in response to Hurricane Andrew.
Beyond the immediate emergency needs, Mr. Moreno also reported that
following Hurricane Charley Governor Bush informed farmworker
organizations that he would be requesting $40 million from USDA; half for
farmworker housing and the other half to be allocated to the organizations
that can supply urgently needed services to the workers.
We strongly support such a comprehensive USDA response to the housing and
other rural development needs of farmworker families affected by this
disaster. Many workers were housed in rental mobile homes and as renters
will not qualify for FEMA resources. The destruction of crops including
ferns, citrus, and vegetables, has left the workers without jobs. In a
few weeks, 75% of the farmworker population that works outside the state
in the summer will be returning to communities without work or housing.
Most farmworkers do not qualify for unemployment, and also do not receive
the disaster aid that is routinely provided to farmers. The resources and
authority available to USDA could make a significant difference in meeting
these needs.
We thank you in advance for assuring that the dire needs of farmworkers
displaced from jobs and homes will not be overlooked in the federal
response to the Florida disasters. Sincerely,
John Zippert
Lorette Picciano
Chair person
Executive Director
Cc: Governor Jeb Bush
Senator Bob Graham
Senator Bill Nelson
Rep. David Baca
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, Chair, Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Senator Robert Bennett, Chair, Senate Agriculture Appropriations
Subcommittee
Senator Herb Kohl, Ranking Minority Member, Senate Agriculture
Appropriations Subcommittee
Rep. Henry Bonilla, Chair, House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Ranking Minority Member, House Agriculture
Appropriations Subcommittee
Senator Thad Cochran, Chair, Senate Agriculture Committee
Senator Tom Harkin, Ranking Minority Member, Senate Agriculture Committee
Rep. Bill Goodlatte, Chair, House Agriculture Committee
Rep. Charles Stenholm, Ranking Minority Member, House Agriculture Committee
Florida House Delegation
House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees
The Honorable James Moseley, Deputy Secretary, USDA
The Honorable Vernon Parker, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
The Honorable Gilbert Gonzalez, Acting Under Secretary for Rural
Development
* EMERGENCY GRANTS TO ASSIST LOW-INCOME MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARMWORKERS.
Section 2281(a) of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of
1990 (42 U.S.C. 5177a(a)), as amended in Sec. 10102 of the 2002 Farm Bill.
****To Most Effectively Reach Your Members of Congress*****
Your members of Congress listen to constituents! The most effective way to
get your message to your member is to call and/or fax their Washington
office and mention that you are a constituent. You may reach both of your
Senators by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. All letters
to Congress (faxed, mailed and emailed) should be followed up with a
confirmation call to emphasize your concern and confirm that your message
was received.
Need a Fax number? - Call the US Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121. Ask
to be connected to your Senator¹s office, and ask them for a Fax number -
or
- go to www.senate.gov and search for your member by name, zip code or
state.
Faxed letters and phone calls are best. Your members of Congress receive
thousands of emails a day, and many are lost. Multiple approaches are best
- fax, email AND PHONE!!
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