Conference for Farmworker Women to Address Health, Immigration, and Safety

Conference for Farmworker Women to Address Health, Immigration, and Safety

Providing easy access to essential services to the women who are the backbone of the local agricultural economy is the mission of the 20th Annual Farmworker Women’s Conference being held at the Visalia Convention Center on Friday, November 1, 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., with keynote speakers Dr. Adalberto L. Renteria, Chief Medical Director, Adventist Health, Central Valley, and Bruce Goldstein, CEO/President of Farmworker Justice.

Conference coordinator Lali Moheno asserts that the conference is a collaborative effort with the goal of “improving the health, mental health, and family status of the farmworker woman.” This year’s conference emphasizes maintaining health and safety for the whole family. Sessions this year encompass suicide prevention; chronic disease prevention and mental health resources; family services and parenting; employment rights and work fraud; human trafficking; sexual harassment in the fields and domestic violence; special needs education and reading programs; and social security and immigration information.

Community partners include the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency (HHSA), the Tulare County Office of Education, the State of California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the Employment Development Department (EDD), the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, Proteus, Inc., Univision Canal 21, CalVans, Lulac, Family Health Care Network, Central California Legal Services, HealthNet, La Campesina, Adventist Health, AT&T, and many others.

“The Health & Human Services Agency is excited to again be a sponsor and participant in the conference,” said Timothy Lutz, HHSA Agency Director. “This is a tremendous opportunity to reach a critical group of people in our community and help educate them on the services that are available, as well as linking them to resources.”

The conference will be conducted exclusively in Spanish, with translators available for monolingual English speakers. Music is being provided by Los Malandrines, with a special style show by “Campesinas del Valle de San Joaquin.” Childcare will be provided by the Proteus, Inc. Child Care Program and a licensed child care provider. Transportation will be available at participating schools and by CalVans. Registration is free to farmworker women; Vallarta of Visalia will provide a continental breakfast and lunch, and participants will have a chance to win door prizes, gift certificates, and food baskets.

For more information and registration, please contact Lali Moheno at (559) 733-4121 or lmoheno@sbcglobal.net.

Made possible by the United Women’s Organization/Organización de Mujeres Unidas and Tulare County HHSA, in collaboration with numerous community partners.