SANTA MARIA TIMES January 22, 2007 Freeze will dent relief agencies' supplies By Luis Ernesto Gomez/Staff Writer Effects from California's freezing weather that damaged crops throughout the state and displaced farmworkers could be felt as soon as next month at local social assistance agencies. The FoodBank of Santa Barbara County is already reporting a shortage of some fresh produce, such as oranges, but as of Friday officials did not sense an urgent need for those supplies. A five-day freeze that hit the agriculture industry is expected to yield losses, especially in citrus and strawberries.
While consumers feel the pinch at the grocery stores, assistance agencies such as the FoodBank are also at the mercy of Mother Nature.
About 6,000 pounds of oranges scheduled to arrive at the FoodBank were recently canceled due to the freeze, said Kathy Hayes, director of operations.
In a supply assessment survey of the 200 non-profit agencies in the county - from church groups to social service organizations - only two responded, she said.
One agency reportedly ran out of all food supplies during a distribution Thursday, she said.
Another agency said half of the families it serves are in immediate need of assistance due to lack of work, she added.
“This sort of documentation will assist us in securing more food through our network of food manufacturers and the state,” said Hayes, who added this county has probably not been hit as hard as other counties.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave local counties Thursday the task of providing job and unemployment aid, food programs, health care information and warming centers.
“At this point we have not seen the fallout from the freeze,” said Mona Baker, manager of the Workforce Resource Center in Santa Maria, which was one of many one-stop assistance centers assigned by the governor to help affected workers and their families.
Locally, there is no official count of how many farmworkers will be left with little or no work in the weeks to come, but 15th District State Sen. Abel Maldonado, R-Santa Maria, is already putting the numbers at 12,500 at citrus farms statewide.
Maldonado, who was set to visit areas affected by the freeze, has introduced a bill that would relieve farmworkers facing layoffs.
The bill would allow laid-off workers to earn up to $200 per week without slashing unemployment benefits. Currently they earn no more than $25 a week.
But Guillermo Ahumada thinks the bill is unrealistic in terms of the urgent needs of local farm workers and their families.
“People will first need to know how to pay their rent,” said Ahumada, director of special events and community services for Radio Ranchito and Que Mas at KTAP-AM in Santa Maria.
“They may be able to get food but first they have to pay their bills,” he said. “The help needs to be in sync with real needs.”
Farm labor advocate Jesus Estrada said those who once looked forward to the local strawberry, broccoli and celery harvest seasons are now seeking alternatives.
Those with children here are applying for welfare, he says.
And those without legal status are supporting their cohorts by lending and borrowing money from each other, he added.
Catholic Charities, which is known as a major food distributor among farmworkers, has mostly asked for clothing, but David Coelho predicts food requests will go up sometime early February. | |