Migrant Farmworkers Assistance Fund

Emergency & Legal Assistance - Services include individual assistance with healthcare co-pays and medications, distribution of food bags, backpacks with school supplies, child car seats, clothing for all ages, hygiene kits and sun kits; laundry soap and other supplies. MFAF staff assist and represent with many different legal needs: -traffic tickets -power of attorney documents -US passport applications -notarization of documents -immigration applications -resident alien cards -DACA renewals -work card applications and renewals -naturalization for US citizenship -applications for family members -applications for Social Security benefits -updating Mexican electoral cards and identity cards

Youth Development - MFAF staff create and provide fun, appropriate, and relevant programs to engage farmworker youth: -to cultivate youth development and leadership -to focus on educational and creative enrichment and facilitate summer programs and camp opportunities. -programs include Teen Empowerment Collective, Girls Group, summer camps, field trips and individual educational support programs. -to focus on educatinal and creative enrichment and facilitate summer programs, college visits, career planning by spending a day in a possible career office, and summer camp opportunities

Education Support - MFAF staff facilitate and assist in many forms of educational support from birth through adulthood. Services include assistance and interpretation for: -Parents as Teachers (PAT) in-home interpretation in three school districts -Migrant Head Start, preschool, school enrollments--three school districts -parent-teacher conferences, Individual Education Plans for special needs, ACT test preparation and coordination -college planning, FAFSA applications, college visits for students & parents, scholarship applications, support for students in college programs, career planning -GED (Hiset) and ESL class support support for adults and students.

Community Building - MFAF staff provide social and educational opportunities for community building to bring together farmworkers living in isolated rural settings across a 55-mile span of the orchards. -Monday nights distributions during the peach & apple harvest season (August through October); -off-season Womens Group sessions -adult education topical programs -an annual Christmas dinner and gifts for all children -an annual Graduation dinner to recognize graduating students and their parents and to encourage community support for education MFAF staff also provide information to the rural communities to better understand the lives of the migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families.