Institute for Washington’s Future is in partnership with Community to Community Development. Their Promotora Program fights to bring public awareness to farmworkers’ living and working conditions.
Community to Community Development (C2C) recently published their Promotora Program 2020 Census Report. The purpose of this annual census is to continue building on our collective organizations’ trusted relationships with community members, and to maintain an active awareness of how to best assist them. In addition to maintaining easy to access information on where our supporters’ donations go and subsequently maintain transparency, these findings also present opportunities to get involved with C2C, farmworker organizing, and participatory democracy activities. It is important to open up a pathway of learning about our community member’s most pressing needs and issues affecting their lives for the public.
Census Findings
Outreach with our population requires one-to-one count. Technology cannot replace the in-person relationship building.
Once a relationship has been established with one family, they become informal trusted messengers for others in community to help learn about the census. There is often more than one family living in a home.
Languages spoken other than Spanish, Mixteco (Alto/Bajo), Triqui including Aguatecko, Mam, only one family that the promotora came across spoke Chaletico.
A growing presence of Guatemalan communities in Whatcom especially new to the areas, recent arrivals being less than 2-3 months and are in need of assistance with enrolling school age children to the local school systems. Ferndale High School has a limited support network to fully dedicate to serving ELL families across district lines.
The huge need to create community support and linkages for these families has become even more apparent:
- How to access language support for public services (paying water bill, changing address, how to use the bus line, attend court):
- In the whole state, there is only one Mam interpreter for court proceedings and he only provide interpretation through the phone
- How to utilize social services:
- How to access medical coverage
- Keep, and maintain health coverage
- How to “use” a language interpreter to gain access for help
- Know your rights orientations for work, immigration, school, etcetera:
- How to advocate for oneself and “collectively”
- National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
- Translation of common paperwork:
- Department of Licensing
- Immigration court paperwork
Photo credit Brenda Bentley
All reported information courtesy of Community to Community Development. If you want to learn more or become involved with this organization, please visit http://www.foodjustice.org or follow their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Community2Community/