WASHINGTON - Marylandian -- The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) is celebrating National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW) during this week of March 25 – 31.  NFAW is a week of action where communities and individuals bring attention to farmworkers and honor them for the contributions they make to our society.

During this week of action, AFOP Health & Safety Programs is sponsoring its annual NATIONAL LONG-SLEEVE SHIRT DRIVE.   Since 2014, AFOP and its partners have collected and distributed over 93,000 long-sleeve shirts to the farmworker community along with pesticide safety and heat stress prevention messages through its network. This year's goal is to surpass 100,000 long-sleeve shirts collected nationally.

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This is a great opportunity for everyone to give back to those who harvest our food. Thanks to our 2023 partners, we are hosting more than 158 drop-off locations in over 38 states in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.  Contributors can donate their new or slightly used long-sleeve shirts in any of the AFOP drop-off locations. To find the nearest drop-off location or how to donate, visit http://afop.org/nfaw.

Why long-sleeve shirts? Our nation's 2.5 million farmworkers face long hours of arduous work putting their health and safety at risk due to exposure to dangerous pesticides and heat stress. "A gently used long-sleeve shirt can help prevent exposure to pesticides by covering the skin which is the most common route of pesticide poisoning due to its exposure," observes Melanie Forti, AFOP's Health & Safety Programs Director

There is always a need and plenty of ways to get involved.  If we, as a nation, can come together, we can help give our nation's farmworkers a shot at a safer and healthier life.  Efforts do not have to end with this week of observance; AFOP urges people to connect with local farmworker organizations to get involved.

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AFOP Health & Safety Programs strives to empower the farmworker community through health and safety education, resources, and advocacy.  For additional comments or an interview, please contact Melanie Forti, Director of Health & Safety Programs at forti@afop.org.

The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs is a non-profit, national federation of 53 non-profit and public agencies that provides training and employment services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers.  AFOP's mission is to improve the quality of life for those workers and their families by promoting self-sufficiency through employment and training opportunities, educational attainment, and health and safety.