Beth-El Farmworker Ministry By Rev. Kathleen Dain, Executive Director
Rain or shine, every Tuesday morning you will find Don Lupé first in line for the Beth-El Farmworker Ministry food pantry. Now in his 80’s, no one at the mission is exactly sure how long Don Lupé has been coming to the Tuesday pantry, only that he is always first in line. Every week nearly 600 families receive resources through the Beth-El food pantry. In raw numbers that works out to about seven tons of food and other needed resources distributed every week. The pantry is one of the many ways Beth-El lives into its mission of feeding mind, spirit and body through hunger relief, education, healthcare and spiritual development. Beth-El Farmworker Ministry began in 1976 as a mission of the Board of Missions (now Missions Ministry Team) of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Today, the mission provides support annually to over 20,000 families living in poverty. Most of our families are part of the farmworking community in Wimauma. It is hard to imagine that the very people who pick the produce for our tables are unable to provide for their own. The goal of Beth-El is to help farm workers reach a level of self-sufficiency. This is not an easy task since the work done by farmworkers is both labor intensive and economically challenging. Most farmworkers work only seven to nine months of the year, following the crops with the seasons. The work is highly demanding, working long hours, frequently in inclement conditions where one storm or flood can not only wipe out a crop, but your entire source of income. Almost all of the crops in Florida are picked by hand. Oranges, tomatoes, strawberries, and peppers, to name a few, all require the individual touch of a farm worker. However, unlike a minimum wage earner, most farmworkers are paid for the quantity they can pick. For example, a worker picking strawberries will earn about $3.50 for picking 32 pounds of berries. On average a farm working family will earn less than $15,000 a year. Many have had little or no education making other avenues of employment practically impossible. Nearly half of the population surrounding the mission lives below national poverty guidelines, and few have access to health or other social services. Education is the key, not only to providing new career pathways, but also to developing healthier lifestyles.
In 2015 the mission began introducing fresh produce into its weekly pantry. Along with the fresh fruits and vegetables, the mission provides healthy recipes and tasting samples for recipients to try. It is just one of many ways Beth-El works to support opportunities for healthy living. For those unable to travel to the mission’s pantry because of work or lack of transportation, Beth-El delivers directly to farms within a 20-mile radius of the mission. Still, many farmworkers require services beyond hunger relief. In 2017, Beth-El began a four-year initiative to transform part of its campus into a health and wellness center with free access to medical, dental and legal services. Patients have arrived as early as 3 a.m. to wait for services at the monthly dental clinic. Many of the mission’s recipients are also part of the worshiping community of Nuevo Camino – a new church development under the leadership of the Rev. Tamara Leonard Lara. Long term, education is the key. The mission’s Step Up for Success mentorship program helps students and adults with the necessary resources needed to obtain a more stable income. Feeding Mind, Spirit, and Body, are more than just words—they are who we are. Our prayer is that Beth-El Farmworker Ministry will continue to be faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all we do. To learn more about Beth-El Farmworker Ministry and how you can become involved, visit their webpage at www. beth-el.org. MM
