Hey, everyone! / Saludos todos!

Thank you for visiting my fundraising campaign and taking an interest in supporting social justice for migrant and seasonal Latinx farmworkers. I'm excited and humbled to offer you an opportunity to donate to an organization rooted in doing the work for a just agricultural system that treats farmworkers ethically. 

My goal is to raise $850 by Friday, May 18th!

I hope that I can count on your help to reach this goal after learning more about SAF and their work.

Student Action with Farmworkers promotes education to students and communities of these issues, facilitates activism for farmworkers’ rights at a local and federal level and supports farmworkers and their families by sending students to work with them in a variety of ways, such as publishing documentary work about their lives, providing legal aid, and informing local communities on how to advocate for farmworkers.

Why I got involved

Though we are all interconnected with farmworkers in the United States since they work the land that produces the ingredients in the food we consume, I have my own personal connection with them since a vast majority of them are migrant workers who are Mexican like myself. As a Mexican immigrant, it is inspiring that for so long, so many farmworkers have decided to travel far from their beloved homes and their livelihoods to work in the agricultural system of a foreign country to support their families. It is my duty to support this large sector of the Latinx and Mexican population in the United States by spreading awareness of the issues that they face and working to aid them. This summer, I will be able to dedicate my lifelong cultural and linguistic knowledge to work directly to aid mi gente mexicana, my mexican people. 

The life of farmworkers

Being a migrant farmworker in America requires much strength - physical, emotional and spiritual. Farmworkers wake up at dawn and can to work up to 13 hours a day per week in blistering heat wearing pants and longsleeves to protect them from the sun and harmful pesticides in crops. They work in the sun and dry land or in the rain and mud, with physical fatigue setting in. Above all this, they deal with the pain of being away from their loved ones - their spouses, children and even grandchildren. They face the stress of being in a foreign country and not knowing how to speak the language there, a position that I have been in before in my life. They work hard, long hours with pay that doesn’t always reflect it. They are discriminated against outside of work with stereotypes and public images that paint them as stealers of jobs and inferior people. Undocumented workers also put up with violations of their rights out of fear of deportation.

• Farmworkers’ average annual income is $11,000 making them the second lowest paid workforce in the nation. Farmworkers living in East Coast states such as North Carolina earn about 35% less than this national average.

• Agriculture is consistently ranked one of the three most dangerous occupations in the United States. Despite this, farmworkers are not protected by the same safety laws that protect workers in other industries.

Farmworkers face systematic discrimination and exploitation through issues such as the lack of living wages, safety laws and regulations, poor housing conditions, wage theft, sexual harassment and exposure to pesticides. Farmworkers have the right to speak out against their mistreatment without the threat of being fired.

Why SAF needs your help                    

SAF is a nonprofit that relies heavily on donations from individuals such as yourself to be able to keep running their programs and advocating for farmworker justice. Every dollar donated is going towards initiatives that will empower and support our farmworkers, educate our community, and take action towards a just agricultural system.

All I need is:

2 donors to give $100 / 4 donors to give $50 / 10  donors to give $25 / 10 donors to give $15

But any donation is meaningful and very appreciated as you help us work toward victory for farmworkers.

Please feel free to contact me to know more about this fundraiser and how to get involved.

Thank you / Gracias! 

Sincerely, Aaron Sanchez Guerra