NEEDED ITEMS ARE: 140-160 food kits (cost is estimated to be $25 per kit, help make this happen by donating funds or your church can donate the completed food kits), children clothing (NO WINTER CLOTHING), hygiene kits, disposable baby diapers (N–7), baby wipes, men & women clothing (T shirts s-xl & jeans regular sizes), hats, sunblock, and laundry detergent.
Food Kit (a canvas reuseable grocery bag containing)4lbs bag of MASECA Cornmeal) for tortillas,2lbs bag all-purpose flour for other cooking,2lbs-5lbs bag of dried beans (black and or pinto only), 16oz-48oz oil for cooking, 2lbs-10lbs bag of enriched long grain rice, 2oz-18oz can of Jalapenos, (cans only), 14oz-106oz tomato sauce (cans only), 5oz-96oz vegetables (cans only)
Hygiene Kit (a gallon zip lock bag containing)
toothbrush (in wrapper), 4 oz-7oz tube of toothpaste , hand towel , washcloth, combor brush , nail clipper, bar of soap (bath size in wrapper), six band – aids, 2oz-3oz travel hand sanitizer or hand sanitizer wipes
PEVA’s Hunger Action Advocate and will be more than happy to arrange for pick up from your church, or you may bring donated items to the PEVA office between July 8th - July 19th Mon. – Thurs. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Donations are due by July 19th, 2023. A trip to deliver the needed supplies is planned for late July or early August and an opportunity to engage with families at the Migrant Head Start Centers (Cheriton, VA & Parksley, VA). If you are interested in helping, sorting, packing the truck, driving the truck, or taking the trip all are welcome, please contact Jessica@pcusa.peva.org.
It's an opportunity for farm worker supporters across the country to honor farm workers' important contributions and raise awareness about the issues they face. PEVA will be collecting long sleeve shirts each year. A gently used cotton long-sleeve shirt can help prevent exposure to pesticides by covering the skin which is the most common route of pesticide poisoning due to its exposure. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicates that over 20,000 cases of doctor-diagnosed pesticide poisoning are reported yearly. These shirts will be used locally for workers mainly on the Eastern Shore, VA as they attend the safety training, right before the produce season starts. which includes pesticide and handler safety training by Telamon. This safety training in Virginia is paid for by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) & the Association of Farm Opportunity Programs (AFOP).
Drop off long sleeve t-shirts to the PEVA office by the first Friday in April or you may arrange for local pick, on the peninsula contact (Elder Gerry Ellis) or southside contact (Elder Jessica Fitzgerald). Or they can be dropped off at the PEVA office (M - F 10 AM - 4 PM)
On the evening of July 26th approximately 30 volunteers from First Portsmouth, Green Acres, Simonsdale, St. Andrew, and Third Presbyterian churches along with PEVA staff participated in loading the truck with the donations for the Migrant Farm Workers & Seasonal Agriculture Workers Ministry on the Eastern Shore.
On July 27th the truck full of needed items such as 212 Food Kits, 1,609 diapers, 100 Hygiene Kits, 90 small boxes of nonperishable groceries, 13 school bags full of basic school supplies, 610 children’s books, children clothing, men & women clothing, sunblock. laundry detergent, hats and various other items were delivered to the East Coast Migrant Head Start Centers on the Eastern Shore of VA. The truck was unloaded and sorted by Jessica Fitzgerald (Third), Danny Lovell & Terry Phelps (St. Andrew), and Gerry Ellis (Denbigh United) and Head Start Center staff. PEVA's Hunger Action Advocate had the opportunity that afternoon to engage with families at the center in Parksley, VA and assist with handing out needed items. Gerry Ellis had an opportunity to visit with the Director of the Cheriton center, tour and learn about how the center serves the children and families at the Cheriton center.
A 20 ft truck was loaded with food kits, diapers, clothing, and children's books on July 26th for the Eastern Shore Migrant Farmworkers Ministry. The first stop was at the PEVA office where donations that were dropped off by various PEVA churches were loaded by Jessica & Ray Fitzgerald, their daughter Samantha, and several members of First Portsmouth's Presbyterian Churchchoir (Rev. Skip Baker-Smith, Kim McCormick, Gail Pittman, Raymond Rodrigues, and Oralie Wilhite. The second stop was at Wycliffe Presbyterian Church on July 27th where the truck was loaded by Rev. Dr. Garrett Bugg, Kelley & David Gangwer, Ginny & Scott Lambright, Rev. Dr. Bobbie McGarey, Maggie Metzgar (6 age), Ron Moore, Bob Prestridge, Gail & Joe Schwartzer, and Niam Schwartzer (7 age). All donations were delivered to 2 Migrant Head Start Centers on the Eastern shore for distribution. Members of Powelton Presbyterian Church the Rev. James W. Moore & Katherine Moore, JoAnn Eshleman, Jane Weidman, and Vernon & Cathey Bell assisted in handing out items at the Parksley center (including their donations) and greeted some of the farmworker families. Thank you to all of the PEVA churches and individuals that contributed in the 2022 season.
Recording of VICPP Farmworker workshop at Day for All People in January 2022 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RX1B3OCLds
Prayer service for Farmworkers
More VICPP farmworker information at https://www.virginiainterfaithcenter.org/economic-justice/farmworker-justice/
Contact Sheila Herlihy Hennessee, Faith Organizer sheila@virginiainteraithcenter.org
AWAC is a group of organizations and individuals, including workers, whose mission is to serve as advocates for agricultural workers on the Eastern Shore.
Information from National Farm Worker Ministry: https://nfwm.org/farm-workers/farm-worker-issues/
Click Here to explore and learn more what the Legal Aid Justice Center is doing for farm workers. Thier campaigns range from direct representation and impact litigation on wage and contract claims to H-2A and H-2B visa reform, combatting labor trafficking, advocating for enhanced enforcement and new laws to address health and safety concerns, legislative and administrative policy advocacy for better pay and conditions, and worker coalition-building in rural areas.
Every year, a Worker Justice team sets up a temporary home base for the summer on the Eastern Shore, joining thier community organizer who is based there year-round. Throughout the whole summer, the team visitd the worker camps throughout the region, speaking with workers about their experiences, sharing information about workers’ rights, providing legal assistance, and supporting workers organizing for better conditions.
Farm Workers - 2021 Overview
8/5/20 PEVA Newsletter (July 2020 Good News on Migrant Farm Workers & Seasonal Agriculture Workers)
Download a slide presentation dated Feb 2020 on the Ministry.
Click here to view the 2019 Season Overview
PEVA's Hunger Action Advocate Jessica Fitzgerald, David McKercher of Saint Andrews PC, Samantha Suski of Third PC, and two faithful friends Suzan Razo and Enrique Malto packed two trucks on Thursday July 27th Jessica and David delivered the needed items to the East Coast Migrant Head Start Centers in Chertion and Parksley, VA. Jessica & Susan handed out food kits and other needed items and said a few words at the parent meeting that evening at the Parsley center. Susan was a great help with translation. A special “thank you” to all that have donated to this ministry. Together we have touched the lives of 56 families. That's 23 families at the Parksley Center and 33 families at the Chertion Center. Please keep in mind for every family that is documented there is at least one undocumented family that is also helped if supplies are available.
PEVA's Hunger Action Advocate Jessica Fitzgerald, David McKercher of Saint Andrews PC and Samantha Suski of Third PC packed up two pick up trucks FRI. AUG 19th. and delivered needed items to the East Coast Migrant Head Start Center in Parksley, VA. Jessica handed out food kits and other needed items and said a few words at the parent meeting that evening. A special thank you to all that have donated to this ministry. Together we have touched the lives of 79 families. That's 50 families at the Parskley Center and 29 families at the Chertion Center.
Farm work is hard work. Farm workers perform repetitive picking motions, bend over for hours at a time, lift heavy buckets of produce, and operate machinery like tractors, pesticide applicators, and fruit pickers that can lead to mishaps and injuries on the job.
Overview of issues affecting farm workers in English.
(this resource will be updated soon)
Justice & Hospitality towards Immigrants
Exodus 12:49: Same law
Exodus 23:9 Don’t oppress strangers
Exodus 23:12: Rest for alien
Numbers 9:14: Same law
Number 15:29: Same law
Deut. 23:7: Don’t abhor Egyptians
Deuteronomy 24:14-15: Pay wages
Deut. 27:19 Don’t oppress sojourner
Psalm 146:9: Sojourner watched over
Jeremiah 7:5-7: Don’t oppress alien
Duet 10: 17-19: Execute justice
Deut 17: 19: Don’t pervert justice
Exodus 22:21: Don’t wrong stranger
Leviticus 24:22: One law
Lev 19:33-34: Love stranger as self
Eph 2: 14-19: Break wall of hostility
Zechariah 7:9-10: Don’t oppress alien
Peter (I) 4: 8-9: Practice hospitality
Hebrews 13:1-2: Entertaining Angels
Farm Workers
James 5:1-5: Laborers cry out
Timothy (II) 2:6: First share of crops
Corinthians (II) 9:10, 12: God supplies seed; thanks
Labor
Isaiah 65:22-23: Not labor in vain
Mark 10:42-45: First is last
Genesis 2:1-2: God rested
Deuteronomy 24:14-15: Pay wages
Isaiah 5:1-7: Vineyard parable
Jeremiah 34: 8-14: Set slaves free
Strength & Survival
Corinthians (II) 4: 7-10: Afflicted not crushed
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 9AM-5 PM
Phone 757-397-7063
Fax 757-397-7246
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