Farm work continues to rank as one of the top three most dangerous occupations in the US. According to politico.com, farmers are nearly twice as likely to die on the job as police officers, five times as likely as firefighters, and 73 times as likely as Wall Street bankers. Fatal injuries caused by equipment are the most chilling (e.g. tractor rollovers, or falls into granaries), but injuries caused by persistent dust, excessive heat, and dangerous pesticides are just as real.
Fortunately, AFOP H&S has helped a large number of agricultural workers through their National Farmworker Training programs. Since 2013, over 206,000 farmworkers and family members have received health and safety education and resources. Training topics have included pesticide safety, heat stress prevention, and tractor safety. Over 34,000 long-sleeve shirts have been donated to farmworkers to help protect themselves from pesticide exposure and extreme weather conditions.
Meanwhile, AFOP's Children in the Fields Campaign has been working to improve the quality of life for migrant and seasonal farmworker children through community organizing, public education, and advocacy. The campaign has developed coalitions, youth councils, and congressional campaigns to end the discrimination in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Also, CIFC has been able to reach and train over 3,500 farmworker children since last year through pesticide safety training, a child-education program called "Jose Aprende." "Jose Aprende" (Spanish for "Jose learns") teaches kids how to protect themselves from the pesticides that ride home on their farmworker parents' boots and clothes. Additionally, CIFC runs an annual essay and art contest that solicits entries from children of farmworkers all over the country, bringing their own words and drawings into the national spotlight.
How to make a contribution: Visit www.afop.org
* Important: Make sure to specify either H&S or CIFC as the designation, when applicable.
Every dollar received will go back into the programs to ensure farmworkers can enjoy a safe and healthy life together with their families. With this additional support, AFOP can weather unexpected budget cuts and even expand its important programs, impacting a larger number of agricultural workers and their families so the people who feed America can improve their quality of life at work and at home.
* H&S Facebook: @afophealth
* Twitter: @AFOPHealth
* Instagram: @afophealth
* CIFC Facebook: @CIFCampaign
* Twitter: @CIFCampaign
Contact
Melanie Forti
***@afop.org
Photos: (Click photo to enlarge)
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