This time of year, fields where sweet potatoes were gleaned for Thanksgiving feasts are now freezing over and empty, and many migrant farmworkers and their families move on to another home, another state, perhaps another country. They pack up their belongings and what little hard-earned money they were able to save during their stay.
Little money as it may be, it’s one reason some families are victims of robbery and other crimes; migrant farmworkers are often targets of theft because their savings are in cash, or assumed to be. Their housing–trailers or houses in need of repair- is often insecure and easily broken in to. Fear of reporting crimes to the local authorities is another common factor in why farmworkers are singled out.
A tragic example of such targeted violence recently occurred in Sampson County, NC, when four homes occupied by migrant workers were burglarized and a four-year old boy was shot. The boy’s family was preparing to depart the next day for their Florida home. Now this holiday season, their home will likely be the hospital where the child is recovering from intensive surgery and remains in critical condition.
For many of us the holidays are a time for reflecting on and sharing our blessings, perhaps giving to those in need. The Farmworker Advocacy Network works closely with the national Harvest of Hope Foundation to manage an emergency fund for North Carolina farmworkers. Funds are then requested - by farmworkers, advocates or other friends working on their behalf-when emergencies like the Sampson County incident arise. To donate now to the fund, click here. Please write “North Carolina Emergency Fund” in the comments to designate funds for North Carolina farmworkers, and/or “Vargas Family, NC” to assist the family whose child was shot in the recent burglaries.