Our nation’s farmers and food workers have remained hard at work to provide for our survival— without them, few of us will eat. Yet many are facing dangerous conditions, and have little access to protective gear. That is morally wrong, dangerous, and unsustainable. HEAL Members have always known that small-scale farmers and food workers are at the front lines of a system that is stacked against them, and this knowledge has driven our work—and continues to drive our efforts as the COVID19 pandemic sweeps across the country and the world. Here’s a round up of what you to take action to support food workers, farmers and fishers through this.
Tell Congress to Invest in Food workers, Farmers and Healthy Food Systems
Even before the pandemic, 37 million people in the US were food insecure, many regional farmers were struggling to turn a profit, and food and farm workers were excluded from labor laws. HEAL has been working around the clock with partners to change this—to ensure that our nation’s food workers and food systems can thrive in this period and beyond. Help spread the word and shape this conversation as Congress determines ongoing Stimulus funding.
Check out our members’ priorities, and share with your networks on Facebook and on Twitter.
Sign these petitions to support food workers
- Join the Food Chain Workers Alliance in calling on gov’t to act – Demand big food corporations provide sick pay, hazard pay, family leave, and respect the right to organize. Here are a few petitions from food worker organizations:
- Tyson and other poultry companies, via Venceremos
- Major restaurant chains via ROC United
- Amy’s Bread via Brandworkers
- Amazon
Donate. If you’re receiving a stimulus check that you don’t need, consider passing it on. A few places we recommend:
- ROC United started a fund for restaurant workers who have lost their jobs
- Mai Nguyen is starting a fund to support Black, Indigenous, and POC regional farmers who are growing for their communities. Email Mai to learn more.
- Many communities are setting up relief funds for undocumented folks, who will not receive federal aid. Find one, and donate there. Here’s a list of places you can donate to for folks in California.
- Donate to grassroots organizations that are building power with workers and farmers.
Because community needs and efforts to organize around them are rapidly evolving, we’ll be keeping this list as updated as we can. Make sure to check back for more actions, updates and resources. You can also sign up here to receive updates directly to your inbox.