BRADENTON HERALD January 17, 2007
MTI program seeks cold-weather gear for migrants
MANATEE - Migrant farmworker families throughout the county are seeking the community's help for keeping warm during Florida's cool winter nights. About 100 families living at area migrant camps need blankets, said Esperanza Gamboa, director of Manatee Technical Institute's Farmworker Education and Services Program. Gamboa and other program workers spend three days each week visiting local camps. The families say they are in desperate need for blankets. "As soon as it starts getting cold, it's very crucial for them," Gamboa said. Seasonal workers, who often move from place to place for farm work, do not have room for or cannot pack all of their belongings during moving time, she said. Many end up leaving most of their clothes, blankets or other items behind. Brenda Thibodeaux, who also works for the program, said the number of families who need help is overwhelming. "The conditions that they have to live under are deplorable, with the cold and children without adequate clothing," she said. "Unless you go out to see it firsthand, you don't see the vast majority of people living like this. There's a lot of need out there." Aside from blankets, families need winter clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts and pants. Canned food and diapers and formula for babies are a constant need, Gamboa said. "From time to time we need to remind the community that we have these people here," she said. "I don't want them to forget about them."
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