Mindy Benitez, 16, stands in what is left of her bedroom.
Photo: Melina Pavlides/Church World Service

BRADENTON, FL—Florida lost an estimated 20 percent of its entire 800,000 acres of citrus crop to Hurricane Charley, and some citrus-producing trees may not fully recover for three to four years.

That means hard times for the state’s farm workers and to such areas as Hardee and DeSoto counties, home to more than 25,000 farm workers.

For some of the farm workers and the communities they live in, the challenges may be insurmountable.

Most, if not all, of those affected are economically disadvantaged, living in poorly constructed homes with several dependents. As a result of the hurricane, many of the homes are now unsafe or uninhabitable.

It is the mission of Church World Service, as well as the entire faith-community, to see that the basic needs of these communities are met and that assistance reaches them. In its recovery work, CWS is collaborating with the Coalition of Florida Farmworker Organizations (COFFO), a network of groups that has worked to improve the conditions farm workers and their families for years.

At a recent meeting hosted by COFFO in Bradenton, CWS and representatives from the Florida Department of Labor, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Red Cross (ARC), and others gathered to discuss and plan for issues related to farm workers who were affected by Charley.

Nearly three-quarters of the disaster-affected farm workers are undocumented migrants from South America, Mexico and Caribbean islands. Nearly 60 percent of these workers are currently in different parts of the country where other crops are in peak season * the height of the Florida citrus season isn’t until November. Those who have left Florida are mostly men who have left their families behind.

A common refrain at the meeting was, “What will they do when they return?”

There were several accounts of women, children and elders hiding in makeshift camps in the citrus groves without anything, afraid to seek assistance or be discovered by government officials.

The faith community, with the help of ARC and advocacy groups like Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) is working hard to identify these vulnerable populations and get assistance to them. “Everyday more and more are discovered,” said one ARC employee. “Yesterday we found 100 people, today 200 more.”

“We’ve got to get them in the system,” said Juanita Mainster of RCMA. “The outreach aspect of recovery here is imperative.”

Church World Service Disaster Response and Recovery Liaison (DRRL) Heriberto Martinez emphasized the need for Spanish-speakers in the field, and others suggested the role that affected farm workers might play in providing outreach to other farm workers.

“The opportunity to be tied into these groups is our key into many of these communities,” said CWS-DRRL Tom Davis, who also attended the meeting.

Each participating organization received a comprehensive listing of the 113 registered migrant farm camps in Florida, “an invaluable tool in helping the DRRLs map areas for establishing long-term recovery groups,” he said.

Media Contacts:
Ann Walle, CWS/New York, 212-870-2654;
Jan Dragin, CWS, 781-925-1526;