Hi Family and Friends,
For the 5th year in a row, I am running the Seattle Half Marathon on behalf of a cause that is important to me. I suppose that means that I've been a "real runner" for five years--something I never expected to be! It was my first effort on behalf of the Int'l Rescue Committee that got me rolling, and it's this latest one, on behalf of the Laurel Rubin Farm Worker Justice Project, that keeps me running in the cold, wet dark this fall! (My 31-year-old hamstrings and I have been attending yoga regularly, and we hope that together we'll cross the finish line in 1:45--our 29-year-old time.)
I hope you'll join me in supporting the Laurel Rubin Farm Worker Justice Project. If you need convincing, think about how close to home farm workers are. They live on the outskirts of all our communities; they lead their lives and raise their kids in the places we drive through on our way to Spokane...or Portland...or a beach cabin somewhere. They picked your apple, and thousands of other apples that same day. They sprayed the pesticides you washed off your apple (or opted out of in your fruit choices).
Fruit and vegetable farming in the U.S. largely would disappear without the huge labor force that farm workers provide. However, many of these workers are chronically exploited, their human rights ignored.
Farm workers often don't seek help because they don't know where to turn or because they're afraid. When they do assert their rights--knowing they risk being blacklisted, deported or fired--there aren't enough advocates to represent them. This "justice gap" is an enormous challenge in our state and throughout the country.
I serve on the board of the Laurel Rubin Farm Worker Justice Project, a volunteer-led effort housed at LAW Fund that assists farm workers in their efforts to enforce their right to fair, dignified, humane and safe working and living conditions.
Our Project is a simple and cost-effective way to help thousands of farm workers each harvest season and improve the lives of their families and communities.
We deploy law students to work alongside experienced advocates to inform farm workers of their rights and responsibilities and provide assistance on matters involving immigration, environmental justice, civil rights, payment of wages, worker safety and health, housing and consumer rights.
In 2005, my first year of law school, I was a Laurel Rubin Fellow in the Tri Cities. I did outreach to thousands of farmworkers around the state. I think that you would have been shocked at the living and working conditions I saw; I was. And, as it turns out, I became a lawyer for low-wage workers. I wrote my first complaint on behalf of a class of farm workers this week--and I can't tell you how excited I am to dive into the case.
If you gave to this effort last year, I can also tell you firsthand about where your money went. This summer, I had the opportunity to supervise a Laurel Rubin Fellow in my office (hi Beau!). Beau's work made it possible to re-start outreach to berry pickers in southwest Washington (whose workplace abuses are some of the worst I have ever personally encountered). Beau connected with hundreds of workers and built trust that is vital to helping these communities that are reluctant (with good reason) to trust many people. He also had the good fortune to fight with a couple of gnarly research questions, a skiddish crop lien client, and a sketchy construction contractor who'd employed some farm workers in the off season. The workers and this legal community were lucky to have him.
Please join me in making a tax-deductible charitable contribution to support the Laurel Rubin Farm Worker Justice Project. Together, we can make a significant difference to these members of our community who do the hazardous work that puts food on our tables. Any amount helps!
If you prefer to send a check directly to the Project, please make it out and mail to: The Laurel Rubin Farm Worker Justice Project, c/o LAW Fund, 1325 Fourth Ave., Suite 1335, Seattle, WA 98101.
The race is the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and I'll be thankful for your support. Thank you for considering giving! Andrea