First Decade 1983 - 1992
1983 Farmworkers in Mascotte (Orange County), with the support of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the Office for Farmworker Ministry, created the Farmworker Association of Central Florida to organize for better housing, wages, and working conditions. The headquarters was established in Apopka, and the name was later changed to the Farmworker Association of Florida, as the organization expanded across the state.
1985 Established PEP Labor Crews, a citrus harvesting cooperative which was the first farmworker-owned cooperative, and which empowered farmworkers to negotiate their own contracts with growers/producers to ensure fair wages and working conditions.
1986 The Farmworker Association of Central Florida became incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the state.
1986 Established the La Tienda ethnic food store in Apopka, which later expanded to two additional locations, in order to provide the farmworker community with access to their ethnic foods.
1986 Three successful lawsuits initiated by the Farmworker Association resulted in coverage for ferncutters under the Agricultural Worker Protection Act.
1986 Successfully advocated for the inclusion of ferncutters under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which provided a legalization opportunity for undocumented immigrants.
1987 Established an office in Pierson, Volusia County, known as the Fern Capital of the World.
1987 With Homes in Partnership, constructed the Las Alamedas low-income housing community in Apopka and the Comunicasa low-income rental housing in Groveland, which provided approximately 100 homes for seasonal farmworkers in Central Florida.
1988 Helped to expand the Community Trust Federal Credit Union to Pierson.
1988 Initiated an HIV prevention education project to reach high-risk individuals in Apopka and in surrounding farmworker communities.
1989 Expanded La Tienda ethnic food store to the Pierson area office.
1991 Participated in the First National People of Color and Indigenous People Environmental Leadership Summits. Participated in the Second Summit in 2002.
1992 After Hurricane Andrew, conducted disaster response and relief to impacted farmworkers in remote, rural areas of Miami-Dade County, and subsequently established an office in Homestead.
1992 Co-founded the Farmworker Health and Safety Institute to develop popular education pesticide safety trainings for farmworkers and to advocate for policy change to improve farmworkers’ working conditions.
1992 Became a member of the Rural Coalition. Joined the Rural Coalition Board of Directors in 1997.