Crazy Week!

This week James and I have been extremely busy! On Monday we went to what we thought would be a one time visit to the Redlands Labor Camp, located in Homestead, FL. We were going to this camp to support the migrant families whose school was going to be closed.This school, which has been operating for over 35 years, offers pre-k, as well as before and after school programs. It is free of charge, and provides the students with certified instructors as well as breakfast and lunch.

At the event Monday evening (a press conference) we learned that the Homestead Housing Authority (HHA) representative at Redlands was refusing to sign the contract to renew the school. Apparently, he wants to open another program (day care) which will charge families in order to provide services. This is something that the residents at Redlands Labor Camp, particularly parents, do not want. The families living here consist of migrant workers, many of whom work in agriculture. They cannot afford to pay out any extra money.

We ended up returning to Redland Labor Camp on Tuesday, and stayed there until midnight for a vigil. We also returned on Wednesday, when our supervisor Jeanette, along with two other representatives, was able to meet with Mayor Lynda Bell to discuss the situation occuring at Redlands. The issue is unfortunately much deeper than the closing of the school program. The residents of Redlands are constantly degraded and threatened by the HHA. Mayor Bell has agreed to investigate the situation, but those are Redlands Labor Camp need the support of the entire community if any real change is to occur.

On another note, Tuesday James and I were able to sit through a pesticide training, hosted by the Farmworkers Association of Florida. This training covered the signs and symptoms of pesticide exposure/poisoning, and how we could get health clinics to regognize pesticide poisoning in patients. One thing those leading the training stressed was that it's vital that health care providers take an occupational history. Because the symptoms of pesticide poisoning are similar to that of the common flu, an occupational history could help physicians rule out the possibility of pesticide poisoning.

Although this week has been extremely interesting, I know I am ready for the weekend and a little downtime!