By Olivia Wynkoop. Bay City News
Farmworkers in San Mateo County will soon be able to access health care resources via a double-decker bus, thanks to a new program launched by local advocacy groups and backed by major life sciences companies like Genentech.
Launching in September, the Farmworker Equity Express program will be equipped with computers and internet to help farmworkers connect virtually with health care providers, mental health resources, online tutoring and adult classes in community college programs.
Belinda Hernández-Arriaga, executive director of the Latino advocacy group Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS), said she and her team saw firsthand how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated obstacles farmworkers already faced when trying to obtain basic resources.
"There is a medical clinic here in the community, but the farmworkers are so hard-working that many of them don't take the time to go, or they have transportation issues, or they don't want to miss work out of concern for job loss," Hernandez-Arriaga said in an interview.
"The privilege of how others have access to health care is not the same in many ways for farmworkers."
Community access to mental health care is an especially overlooked challenge, said Joaquin Jimenez, director of ALAS’ farmworker outreach and program.
“Bringing mental health to the forums has always been a goal,” Jimenez said. “Two ALAS doctors visit the farms during the week and do activities and counseling, but farmworkers also come to our office. This bus will provide a conference room for doctors to meet with farmworkers and their families, and it also has two soundproof areas for mental health via telehealth.”
The organization pitched the idea of a resource-on-wheels program to Life Science Cares Bay Area, a coalition of life sciences companies looking to give back to the community, and together they secured the funding to make it a reality.
The Gilead Foundation was a major donor, and AbbVie Inc. also contributed. Biotechnology company Genentech donated its time and expertise to design a double-decker bus suitable for the project, similar to the buses they operate for their daily commuters.
Now, instead of having to take time off work to go to the doctor's office, or avoid care altogether due to lack of insurance, farmworkers can visit a bus parked right outside their workplace.
ALAS already works with about 20 farms in the county to provide services to farmworkers, and the organization hopes to map out a weekly schedule of where the bus will be and when as September approaches.
“The Farmworker Equity Express bus is the result of the power of nonprofits and biotech companies coming together and turning ideas into reality,” Hernandez-Arriaga said.
It cost approximately $250,000 to purchase the bus and turn it into a resource center, and the organization is now seeking more donors to keep the project sustainable and long-term.
In this regard, Hernández-Arriaga calls on other life sciences companies in Silicon Valley to support the project and be an example of what partnerships between companies and non-profit organizations can look like.
“We’ve heard all around how impactful this can be for others, for other communities and for the entire country. This can be a game-changer for other farmworker communities, so we’re hoping to continue to build that funding stream for this,” Hernandez-Arriaga said.
ALAS will also be hosting community information sessions to provide more information about the Equity Express Farm Bus on August 10, 17, 24, and 31 from 5-7 p.m. in the Half Moon Bay Library Community Room, located at 620 Correas St.
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