• Seasonal and Migrant Farmworker wages are in general quite low, sometimes lower than the federally required minimum wage. The average annual salary for a migrantfamily averages $7,000 - $12,000 a year making them the poorest of the working poor.
• The three largest "home base" states where migrant families reside before moving are California, Texas and Florida. Migrant workers will then travel from state to state in search of seasonal or temporary agricultural work. They struggle to help their children to maintain their education because of frequent mobility.
• Many migrant children work in the fields to help their families and they are an unseen child labor force.
• Securing adequate temporary housing is very difficult. If the can find housing, the conditions are often quite bad. Migrant families sleep in their vehicles when there is no housing. Most growers will not or cannot afford to provide housing.
• The majority of migrant workers are provided no health insurance and there is a lack of access to health services as they move.
• Pesticide usage in the fields and poor sanitation can adversely affect the health of migrant farmworkers.
• The majority of migrant workers and their families are Hispanic. However, other ethnicities are represented in the fields such as Haitians and African-Americans.
• Many migrant workers were born in the United States and are citizens. Other immigrant farmworkers have permission from the US government to work.  And yes, some migrant farmworkers are undocumented but their labor in the fields is still needed.
• Many migrant farmworkers who are undocumented pay taxes.  Ironically, while the Internal Revenue Service accepts their taxes they are at risk for being deported by the Department of Homeland Security due to their status.
• Some farm owners treat their migrant workers well and some treat them harshly.

In an effort to help our hard-working yet needy migrant farmworkers and their families, the Harvest of Hope Fest, scheduled for March 12-14th at the Saint Johns County Fairgrounds in St. Augustine, Florida will bring together over 100 progressive and talented bands playing to raise funds for migrant farmworkers and the Harvest of Hope Foundation.

Thanks to an inheritance from my grandmother, Dr. Helen Zand, I established Harvest of Hope in 1997 to provide emergency and educational financial support to migrant farmworkers and their families. To help relieve some of the conditions mentioned above, the Foundation has distributed more than $787,000 for car repairs due to breakdowns while traveling, gas, tires, bus tickets, housing, rent, utility payments, medical services and medications, food, clothing, funeral expenses and scholarships to children of migrant farmworkers attending college. The Foundation has strict but fair procedures for the distribution of funds. We believe that while migrant farmworkers earn our support, our funds are used to lend a hand, and not as a hand-out. More information on the Harvest of Hope Foundation can be found at www.harvestofhope.net.

Thank you for your time and interest.

Sincerely,

Philip Kellerman, President
Harvest of Hope Foundation
www.harvestofhope.net