Reaching people where they live and work: Vital to the food industry, migrant workers often struggle with hunger

December 4, 2017 – Thousands of migrant farmworkers fill Oregon’s fields in the summer. From planting to picking and pruning, they work long days in remote places. The results of their work fill grocery stores across the state and beyond.

Yet despite the large quantities of food they handle, migrant farmworkers and their families experience high rates of hunger.

“It can be difficult, since the stores are far away and many workers don’t have transportation,” said Rosa Rivera, outreach coordinator with Virginia Garcia Medical Center. “Fear of being stopped by police or the immigration department prevents many from leaving the camps where they live.”

With the help of volunteers, Virginia Garcia and support from the growers, Oregon Food Bank delivered produce and shelf stable food directly to camps in Washington County this summer. That food ensured that more than 500 men, women and children didn’t go hungry.

“By consistently reaching out during the summer, it gives the message that we care,” said Kalika Stanton, migrant outreach volunteer. “It connects us as volunteers to a community of people that are usually skirting the margins of society.”

With your support, more people who live on the fringes of society are able to access nutritious food that allows them to contribute to the greater good of our community.