Programs

JOIN US AS WE EMBARK UPON ADDRESSING THE ISSUES, MEETING THE CHALLENGES, AND EMPOWERING THE FLORIDA FARMWORKER COMMUNITY IN 2010! The Farmworker Association provides a holistic approach to addressing community-identified needs through workplace and community organizing, leadership development, health education, and research projects. The Association helps farmworkers and other low-wage workers: realize their dignity and contributions to society and the economy recognize their own capacity to solve community problems remove the barriers which marginalize them raise consciousness within and outside their communities.
Pesticide Actions Through education and community organizing, the Farmworker Association of Florida works to improve farmworkers’ health, working conditions, and access to quality health care; raise awareness of the harmful effects of toxic pesticides; and influence policy related to health and safety protections for farmworkers.
	Immigrants’ Rights Low-income immigrant communities have many factors or barriers that contribute to them being marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented. FWAF works to inform immigrant farmworkers of their rights and engage them in decision-making and policy-setting processes that impact their lives.
Worker Justice FWAF organizes and builds the skills of farmworkers to address injustice in the workplace, such as wage theft, and the impacts of globalization and mechanization. In addition, the Association works with minority small farmers to access the resources necessary to maintain and improve their farm operations.
	Health Education Often farmworker communities lack knowledge about preventive health care and community health resources available to them. The Farmworker Association provides community education and health referrals in the areas of vocational rehabilitation, pregnancy, HIV and STDs, and women’s health issues.
Research Projects The effects of pesticide exposure on farmworker health has been appallingly understudied. In an effort to bring attention to farmworker health problems and to reduce the adverse effects of pesticide exposure, FWAF has conducted community health surveys, and has been the community partner in two community/academic research projects.
	Disaster Response and Relief Following natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding, low-income immigrant communities have consistently been slow to receive assistance, and are often the victims of discriminatory and inadequate services. FWAF works to organize communities to know their rights in responding to disasters.

“We were uneducated. We did not know the dangers of working with the pesticides in the fields. Nobody told us how to protect ourselves and what to wear. Until the Farmworker Association came into the community, we were not aware of the chemicals they were using and what they could do to our health. The Farmworker Association educated and organized the community and that is when things started to change for our people.”

Geraldean Matthew, Former Farmworker / Community Organizer