ACTION ALERT
Farm Workers in Pierson Urgently Need Your Support.
Attend Pierson's Town Hall Meeting to demand that
local officials give a green light to the construction
of an emergency center for farm workers.
Oct 26, 2010 @ 7:30 pm
Pierson Town Hall, 106 N. Center St.
(also known as U.S. Highway 17).
Pierson, Florida, 32180
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| Dear friends,
I am writing to ask you to PLEASE show your solidarity with the farm workers of Pierson on October 26th at 7:30 pm.
In 2004, when I first got involved with the farm worker movement, six hurricanes went through Florida. These hurricanes devastated the farm worker community of Pierson.
Farm workers did not have access to the resources that they needed to overcome this situation. While workers were reciving emergency aid, many growers were worried about their crops. Fearing that remaining ferns would not be picked, a town Councilman and grower ordered relief agecies to leave town. This isolated area was not a priority for FEMA.
The community got together and helped each other as much as they could. Supporters of farm worker organizations also pitched in. It was obvious that in case of an emergency farm workers would need to rely on each other for help.
To make sure this would never happen again, farm workers organized a community response group for disasters and emergencies.
NFWM worked with Church World Service to provide the Farm Worker Association of Florida (FWAF) with a $31,000+ grant to build an emergency room in their office. This addition would have storage room for water, food, medicines, etc. and would be managed by farm workers.
Three years after we got the grant, the community of Pierson is still struggling to get approval from the City Council to build a 600 sq. foot addition to FWAF’s present office building. Farm workers, supporters and advocates have met with the Pierson Town Council several times. Each time the Council has delayed or denied their decision for unfair and scrupulous reasons. The final Pierson Town Council Meeting is October 26th at 7:30 pm.
It is CRITICAL that we fill the entire City Hall showing support for the farm workers of Pierson. Please attend this meeting and contact us if you can volunteer a few days before the meeting to flier in the city of Pierson and its surrounding communities. YOUR HELP IS URGENTLY NEEDED
Thank you,
Lariza Garzon
Youth and Young Adult Network
National Farm Worker Ministry |
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