As farmworkers toil in ever-increasing heat for less money in a day than some minimum-wage workers make in an hour, they are increasingly unable to afford the very food they’re growing. As many as forty percent of farmworkers are without work authorization, making them ineligible for most federal assistance programs, and leaving many more afraid to seek help for fear of reprisals or sanctions. Bosses threaten them with deportation if they miss a day of work, even if it’s to take their children to the doctor.

Recent legislation proposed by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) seeks to change this. The Fairness to Farm Workers Act would reform the 1938 law that exempts farmworkers from labor protections. Another bill would create an office within the Agriculture Department to act as a liaison between farm and food workers. The Voice for Farm Workers Act would provide funding for established farmworker support initiatives and expand resources for the Agricultural Department’s farmworker coordinator.

While these bills stall in Congress and fail to directly address farmworkers’ systemic inability to access food, small non-profit organizations have been rising up, dedicated to feeding the families of these workers through the use of community gardens and food pantries. Yet again we see that while politicians fail to act, diverse communities of people come together to care for each other.

(Taken from an email sent to me by Never Again Action.)