The Farmworker Council serves farm workers by connecting them to community services they would otherwise not be able to access given language, cultural and economic barriers. In Palm Beach County alone farm workers speak several different languages including Spanish, Haitian Creole, and at least five Guatemalan Mayan languages. This makes communicating with agencies and businesses difficult and prevents farm workers from needed services. Many farm workers are newcomers to the area or even the country. Still others only reside in Florida for part of the year, making it difficult to orient themselves to the community. Furthermore, poverty, lack of transportation, and cultural barriers force many farm workers to do without needed services. Therefore, simple daily activities such as opening a bank account, seeking medical treatment or even filing a tax return become an impossibility for many. The Farmworker Council strives to break down these barriers and empower their clients to fully integrate themselves into the community.

Below are some of the ways the Farmworker Council connects farm workers to their community.

Interpretation

Staff at the Farmworker Council are all bilingual and many speak Spanish, English, and Haitian Creole in response to the needs of the community they serve. Interpretation is provided to clients who need to communicate with individuals and agencies such as social services, schools, legal services.

Translation

Clients often need assistance with applications for jobs and public benefits, writing letters to family members, or with many other written forms.

Transportation

Poverty prevents most farm workers from owning their own vehicles. Due to a lack of public transportation and spaced out housing throughout the county, the Farmworker Council serves a great need by providing safe rides for farm workers and their families to medical, social services and legal appointments that they would otherwise not attend.

Outreach

The Farmworker Council strives to reach out to the neediest farm workers in the county by meeting with people in their homes or at community gatherings. Bilingual staff inform potential clients of services and provide informative orientations about a variety of community resources.

Advocacy and Referrals

Many times transportation, interpretation and outreach are not enough to connect clients to needed services. The Farmworker Council staff advocates on behalf of clients to obtain benefits, job training, legal rights, or improved housing. Through the advocacy process, the staff conducts an assessment and provides options to clients who are in turn empowered to advocate for themselves in the future.

The Farmworker Council works closely with organizations throughout the state to better serve the farm worker population. Referrals and follow up contacts are often made to community agencies if a client's needs can not be fulfilled through the Council.

Assistance to Access Health Care Services

FWCC has been designated by the Department of Children and Families as a Platinum Community Partner. This partnership allows staff to help those clients requesting Medicaid coverage to access the online application system thus expediting the application process and making it easier for clients and their children to access much needed medical services.