A farmworker works on farmland irrigated by sprinklers as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread in this photo taken in El Centro, California, US.
REUTERS/Bing Guan

These young professionals, seven in all, are from South Jersey. They discovered their mutual interests on social media. They were children of migrant workers, majority of whom, had reportedly "worked the fields as children, themselves.

Members shared with reports from the media on the "appreciation caravans" that happened across the agricultural communities of California in late April. One of them suggested then, why not an initiative that's "similar to the West Coast?"

That was how, from the Vineland-Bridgeton-Millville area, these leaders from 19 to 20 years old, organized to contribute to, and focus on the work done by migrant workers, as well as the risk they encounter as they harvest the crops of South Jersey amid the COVIC-19 crisis.

So far, these teams, which has a social media presence although, without an official name yet, a caravan featuring 18 vehicles delivered food supplies and meals.

The group developed a relief fund as well, that has already given money to more than 40 transient and non-transient workers who help farm vegetables like cilantro, cabbage, and lettuce.

The Main Purpose

The purpose of the group with the migrant workers of South Jersey is that the members say, "they are the voice helping them out of the shadows."

One of the members, 27-year-old Marco Cruz, a real estate investor has a brother-in-law who is a farmworker. He said that as children, he and his fellow members of the group were responsible for the translation for their parents, as well as the other farmworkers as they attend to their everyday activities.

They worked alongside the farmworkers too, for up to 14-hour shifts. To date, the group wants to provide support and democracy to show everyone how important these workers are.

As kids, he continued, they used to be shy to translate for the adults. Cruz added that currently as young adults, they still want to continue to be the farmworkers' voice most particularly in this time when, he emphasized, "Their safety depends on it."

Abundant Initiatives

Indeed, initiatives for this group are abundant for a lot of essential workers in sectors like transportation and health care. Stimulus money is available too, as well as public acknowledgment and food delivery.

Nevertheless, farmworkers who do not have employment benefits, secured jobs and stimulus money from the federal, according to the group, "fall short on support." And that's what these organizers from South Jersey are here for.

This team of organizers who work in different industries such as health care, education, hospitality, for the military, finance, and entertainment, all decided to make a move amid their growing apprehensions that the migrant farmworkers are currently experiencing "even greater unsafe work environments."

After several meetings online and brainstorming sessions even late at night, on May 13, the team held the caravan, collaborating with owners of local restaurants for the delivery of meals.

Also, along with Perfil Latino, a nonprofit organization, this group of Latino professionals learned the art of creating relief fund for the workers, and quickly, they received more than $1,300 cash donations.

Check these out!