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Dear John,
This year was a productive one for the national Campaign for Fair Food — starting off with the first-ever Farmworker Freedom Festival held in Palm Beach, FL and now coming to a close our end-of-year fundraising campaign, brought on by the NoVo Foundation’s matching challenge, whereby all gifts will be matched up to $2 million. After the long years of COVID-induced isolation, this year was a refreshing opportunity for our faith and student allies to gather together, reflect, and build bonds of solidarity with farmworkers.
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For the first time in years, the faith working group of the Coalition for Immokalee Workers convened in the birthplace of the Campaign for Fair Food — Immokalee, Florida. They were inspired by the historical and contemporary programming of CIW and the unwavering positive results of their ongoing work. This theologically diverse team from across the United States is excited to prioritize the work and actions of CIW in their local congregations and at the national level of their denominations.
We want to take a moment to share with you some of their reflections on their visit, as well as testimonials from students around the country organizing in solidarity with the Fair Food movement:
“During my visit to Immokalee, I was particularly touched by the women who demonstrated strength and determination to make it safe to work in the fields while providing us nourishing food. We need to stand with them to improve working conditions and to secure a living wage.” - Diane Buckley from the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers
“The work of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Fair Food Program inspires me. In a world that has taken advantage of so many, this work seeks to reaffirm the innate dignity of each farmworker … The individuals responsible for bringing food to our tables deserve fair working conditions and wages.” - Marcos Martins, a seminary student in the Methodist tradition
With the success of this gathering, the faith working group plans to host a large group of faith leaders in Immokalee for a grand Faith Summit next year.
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And just as the faith working group rekindled their connection with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) held their first in-person Encuentro in five years! A decades-long grassroots organizing tradition, the SFA Encuentro serves an important role in the network by bringing students and young people from across the country together for a weekend of skill-building, strategizing, creativity, and reflection, all rooted in the fight for Fair Food in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Early in September, students from New York, California, Illinois, Ohio, and south and central Florida came together in the CIW’s Casa de Esperanza in Immokalee, FL. They learned about organizing, brand-busting, grassroots fundraising, screen printing, and the history of the Campaign for Fair Food in workshops. Through panels, presentations, and a popular education theater performance, they were also able to meet face to face with CIW staff and SFA veterans.
One student from Vermont Law and Graduate School said she felt inspired by the instrumental role of student voices in winning over powerful corporations like Burger King and Taco Bell onto the Fair Food Program:
“ I first learned of the Student Farmworker Alliance while attending college in Philadelphia. For many people who live in cities, our most direct engagement with agriculture is browsing the produce aisle in the supermarket. The SFA bridges the gap between young consumers and farmworkers, encouraging us to become educated about the realities of our nation's exploitative food system. It empowers students from all backgrounds to join in the fight against one of the country's most pervasive forms of human rights violations: modern-day slavery.
This year, I finally got the chance to fly to Immokalee for the annual Encuentro. This experience was profoundly impactful, as it allowed me to connect with members of the Coalition and other student allies from around the country. ” - Danielle Brodsky
Once again, this meaningful reunion helped the students and youth in our movement ground themselves in the heart of the Campaign for Fair Food and look ahead to the future of student organizing for farmworker justice.
These valuable gatherings are crucial to sustaining our Campaign, and with your help, we can continue expanding and strengthening our network of students, youth, people of faith, community members, and other allies who form the backbone of the Fair Food Nation.
Please consider donating to the Fair Food Program [[link removed]] today, or any time between now and December 31st, when your donation will have double the impact and together we can grow the Campaign for Fair Food!
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Coalition of Immokalee Workers
110 S 2nd St
Immokalee, FL 34142
United States
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