VISALIA (California) TIMES-DELTA September 16, 2006
Farmworkers learn about health options By Natalie Garcia Hispanic women farmworkers gathered Friday at the Visalia Holiday Inn for "A Farmworker Women's Health Conference" to address pertinent health issues and resources in the Valley. Conference coordinator Lali Moheno said the purpose of the event was primarily to connect workers with physical and mental health resources within their communities. "How to access health services — that's what the event was about," she said. Moheno also said working conditions in Valley fields have not improved much since she worked them more than 30 years ago. "It's the same, the conditions are not good," Moheno said. "Sometimes there is a lack of proper drinking water and toilet facilities. To me, it is more or less the same conditions." Among the many information booths set up in the hotel lobby were the Tulare County District Attorney's Office to inform women of their rights on issues such as domestic violence and First 5 Tulare County to pass on information for health care for children. Brooke Frost, the children's health initiative manager for First 5 Tulare County, said just getting information to people who are eligible for services is a top priority. Frost said there are 15,000 children in Tulare County without health insurance, and about 55 percent of them do qualify for insurance. The task at hand is to inform those families who are eligible. "One thing that we are doing is working with schools, family resource centers, local clinics and hospitals," Frost said of getting information into the hands of qualified recipients. "Schools have been the most successful, because families trust their schools."
One woman's work During the lunch break, Moheno honored Sandra Garcia as Farmworker of the Year for her outreach work in the community on issues such as AIDS/HIV education, sexual harassment and workers' rights. "I was a victim, so I found a way to fight back," Garcia, who said she was a victim of violence and pesticide exposure, said through a translator. "I am very happy that everyone is struggling and fighting for their rights." Garcia has worked in Valley vineyards for more than 35 years and continues to do so. Her motivation to use her spare time and energy to help is grounded in the grinding work. "Because we work in the cold and the heat and we all get dirty," she said. "We earn money from the sweat on our foreheads."
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