Idaho farmworkers need masks for coronavirus safety, advocates say. Here’s how to help
Even though they’re essential workers, many Idaho farmworkers may not have adequate coronavirus protection. Local advocates are collecting and distributing masks in an effort to keep workers in Idaho safe.
“They feed us, and we have to ensure they are being protected,” said Samantha Guerrero, spokeswoman for immigrant advocacy group PODER of Idaho.
As Latinos across the country continue to be disproportionately infected and killed by coronavirus, fears persist of the virus taking a toll on the nation’s agricultural workers, many of whom are undocumented. Half of the workers at one central Washington orchard tested positive for coronavirus, the Associated Press reported this weekend. On Tuesday, the Salem Reporter in Oregon found that one county’s coronvirus hot spots centered in highly-Latino farmworker communities.
PODER of Idaho, the Idaho Organization of Resource Councils, Visión 2C Resource Council and Caldwell-based nonprofit Community Council of Idaho are collaborating to collect and distribute cloth face masks to as many Idaho farmworkers as possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend wearing cloth face coverings in public settings when it’s difficult to follow social distancing measures. A cloth face covering is not intended to protect the wearer, according to the CDC, but may prevent the spread of virus from the wearer to others.
“They work in dusty fields that can trigger asthma attacks and also have pesticides,” Guerrero said. “They are more likely to have issues like asthma and bronchitis.”
Initially, the groups planned to collect masks for farmworkers just in the Treasure Valley area. But Guerrero said after she talked about the effort on a Spanish radio station in Jerome, so many farmworkers called to request masks they decided to expand the drive statewide. The Community Council of Idaho said in Tuesday Facebook post that staff had distributed more than 100 homemade masks created by local Idahoans and members of the Treasure Valley Medical Mask Sewing Facebook group.
Marielena Vega, spokeswoman for Visión 2C, a new Canyon County chapter of Idaho Organization Resource Council that formed in response to a 2019 pesticide exposure incident, said advocates are also working to fill crucial information gaps about medical care, testing options and available meal assistance programs. Idaho’s slow and faulty Spanish outreach efforts at the beginning of the pandemic has many Latino community leaders, including Vega, worried.
“What we have seen is that a lot of them don’t have information or an idea of what’s going on with COVID or how to take care of themselves,” Vega said. “A lot of people have info and are asking around but all of their info might not be 100% correct.”
Idaho farmworker advocates also plan to collaborate with the ACLU of Idaho and the United Farm Workers union to provide further assistance to the state’s agricultural laborers — many of whom may not qualify for stimulus checks or other government assistance because of their legal status.
“There’s a lot of essential things that our farmworkers need that are not just face masks, but food issues as well,” Guerrero said. “A lot of people are suffering in our immigrant community.”
To donate masks or other materials, email sguerrero@iorcinfo.org or rgodina@ccimail.org. Masks can also be dropped off at the Community Council of Idaho office at 317 Happy Day Blvd. in Caldwell, but call the office or Ricardo Godina first at 208-453-3066.
