California Farmworkers are increasingly struggling to find work and to afford food, as the state recovers from nearly one month of back-to-back devastating storms. Food insecurity is a year-round issue for the Farmworkers who grow and pick the majority of food we buy at the store. But winters are especially brutal- especially this one. And that’s why activist and influencer Flor Martinez is stepping up her efforts to help.
“There’s less work during the cold months, so farmworkers are already struggling to find work and put food on the table,” Martinez says. “Now add to that the recent storms and the need for food in the farmworker community is alarming right now.”
Martinez is the founder of the non-profit, Celebration Nation which is dedicated to serving, informing and empowering indigenous communities. One of the ways she’s supporting agricultural and migrant communities in the state is by organizing food distributions. The latest event in Oxnard, CA on January 28th wrapped up a major week for Martinez. “We fed 2,000 families. That’s how many we usually feed in 1 month,” Martinez says.
The former farmworker and DACA recipient, says she sees herself as the bridge between those who want to help and those who need it the most. “They face so many hazards from mother nature- fires, extreme heat, flooding. They never stopped working during the pandemic,” Martinez says. “Farm workers make sure our country never lacks food.”
Martinez says the devastating storms that hit the state in December and January left migrant farmworkers without a safety net. While owners of the farms that were drenched and damaged during the floods are able to apply for federal disaster assistance– that’s not the case for the migrant farm workers who were left without work and pay. “They’re dealing with a longer stretch of lack of work or fewer hours making it harder to feed their families,” Martinez says.
According to the California Department of Food & Agriculture, farmworkers in the state grow and harvest more than three-quarters of the fruits and nuts and one-third of vegetables consumed in the United States.
Celebration Nation is partnering with activists, volunteers and organizations eager to help. “They often come to me because they don’t know how to reach these vulnerable communities. But I do. These communities trust me because I can relate to them.”
Martinez wants to expand the food distributions to other communities up and down the state, but says she needs more monthly donors to join the effort. “Please consider sharing a portion of your food with the ones who make sure you can have accessible groceries to feed your family. Just skipping an overpriced cup of coffee every month can make a significant difference for a farm worker family living in poverty.” Martinez says.
Food distributing drives are held every week in several key communities. If you’d like to donate, check out the Celebration Nation website.
