2022 National Farmworker Awareness Week

WASHINGTON - PrZen -- The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) will be celebrating the National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW) during the week of March 26 – April 2.  NFAW is a week of action where communities and individuals bring attention to farmworkers and honor them for the contributions they make to our daily lives.

As a part of this awareness week, AFOP Health & Safety Programs is sponsoring its annual NATIONAL LONG-SLEEVE SHIRT DRIVE.  AFOP will collect as many long-sleeve shirts as possible, and then distribute them to farmworkers along with pesticide safety and heat stress prevention messages through its network of 250 trainers. Thanks to our 2022 partners we are hosting more than 115 Drop-off locations in over 26 states in the USA and Puerto Rico.

Why long-sleeve shirts? Our nation's 2.5 million farmworkers face long hours of arduous work putting their health and safety at risk due to exposure to dangerous pesticides and heat stress. "A gently used 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," observes Melanie Forti, AFOP's Health & Safety Programs Director. Since 2014, AFOP has collected and distributed over 74, 495 long-sleeve shirts throughout the U.S.

This is a great opportunity for everyone to give back to those who harvest our food. Participants can donate their new or slightly used long-sleeve shirts in any of the AFOP drop-off locations. To find the nearest drop-off location or how to donate, visit:  http://afop.org/nfaw/

There is always a need and plenty of ways to get involved.  If we, as a nation, can come together, we can help give our nation's farmworkers a shot at a safer and healthier life.  Efforts do not have to end with this week of observance; AFOP urges people to connect with local farmworker organizations to get involved.
AFOP Health & Safety Programs strives to empower the farmworker community through health and safety education, resources, and advocacy.  For additional comments or an interview, please contact Melanie Forti, Director of Health & Safety Programs at forti@afop.org.

The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs is a non-profit, national federation of 53 non-profit and public agencies that provides training and employment services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers.  AFOP's mission is to improve the quality of life for those workers and their families by promoting self-sufficiency through employment and training opportunities, educational attainment, and health and safety.