December 2019
House Farm Workers!
Working to promote safe, decent, secure and affordable housing for all
Ventura County farm workers since 2004.
Recent Events
October Board Retreat

On October 18th, the House Farm Workers! Board of Directors met to review and revise the work plan, strategize about fundraising goals, and refocus energy towards mission-based work for the coming year. House Farm Workers! board members are looking forward to working with staff and volunteers to increase the organization's impact in the community.

HOME Conference

House Farm Workers! board members and staff attended the 18th annual Housing Opportunities Made Easier (HOME) conference in Ventura County. Panelists from the California State University-Channel Islands School of Business and Economics shared statistics that underscore the need for more affordable housing in the area, as real incomes remain stagnant and housing prices and the cost of living continue to increase. Two panels that included local elected officials and city staff provided practical examples of what local cities are doing to address the housing crisis.

City Groups


  • Karen Flock, senior developer at the Housing Authority of the City of San Buenaventura, presented to our Camarillo Workforce Housing committee about the Somis Ranch farm worker housing project. This development will include 360 one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, two community centers and playgrounds. This is a much-needed farm worker housing development that will add to the stock of safe, decent, secure, and affordable housing for our farm worker families.
Interested in joining one of our city groups? Please contact us at events@housefarmworkers.org to be added to a city's mailing list.
Things to Know
Farm Worker Stories:
Rocio
Sharing the stories of our Ventura County farm worker families
Rocio is a resident of a  Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation  farm worker apartment complex.
“It’s all about sacrifice. You just have to do it. I feel blessed knowing my kids are living a better life.” Affordable housing has given Rocio and her family peace and happiness. They live their everyday lives knowing that they have a place they can actually call home. She calls her home paradise. Everyday Rocio has to go work on the farm and pick crops to provide a living for her family. “There is no interview process, you just have to be willing to work. It wasn’t my choice. I did it because of my kids, in order to have more time for them. The hardest part is the labor, the heavy carrying, and the walking.”
This interview was done in partnership with  CSUCI’s Service Learning program  and Professor Parul Malik’s Communications course. The interview and photo were captured by student Diana Martinez.
Annual Appeal:
A Time For Giving
Since 2004, more than 1,000 farm worker homes have been completed and plans are under way for 400 more in Ventura County. This progress has given new opportunities and new hope to hundreds of families. House Farm Workers! continues to advocate and educate about the need for safe, decent, and affordable farm worker housing. We continue to support Ventura County housing projects and continue to engage our elected officials to address the need.
Your generous contribution to  House Farm Workers!  will enable us to promote construction of more projects, improving the lives of our Ventura County's farm workers like it did for Rocio and her family.
You can also donate by mailing a check to our office. Please make checks payable to House Farm Workers! . 

Mail check to : 
House Farm Workers! 
PO Box 402 
Santa Paula, CA 93061

All donations are tax-deductible and upon receiving your donation, we will send you an official acknowledgement letter with our Tax ID number.
 
Where Are They Now:
CSUCI Adventures of Ellen Brokaw Scholarship recipient Emilia Contreras
Sharing an update on our Ellen Brokaw House Farm Workers! Scholarship recipients
Emilia Contreras is a 2019 Ellen Brokaw House Farm Workers! scholarship recipient. She is currently attending California State University-Channel Islands (CSUCI) majoring in business with an emphasis in finance.

This past summer, Emilia worked as a peer mentor for the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) at her university. "Being a peer mentor for first-generation, low-income students was amazing and life changing," she said. "This definitely encouraged me to always give school my best, because now I have six students looking up to me and coming to me for advice/help". At the end of the program she was offered a job as EOP student assistant and has become more involved with the program, helping students like herself. She attended the 50th anniversary EOP Conference and got to listen to some of the trailblazers of the program, and also meet other EOP students from other schools.

Emilia is also working with the Peer Education and Equity program (PEEP) at CSUCI, helping students like herself on their college journey by answering questions about classes and school events, and assisting with their financial aid and college applications.

"Knowing that I am helping out my community, the place I grew up in, makes me feel amazing especially because it promotes going to college," Emilia said. "have to give thanks once again to House Farm Workers! , because if it were not for you, I probably would not be here as well! You have given me the opportunity to continue another year in college. This scholarship has helped me out a lot. Thank you so much!"
Board Member Spotlight
Priscila Cisneros
Priscila is an organizational development manager at Reiter Affiliated Companies (RAC) helping employees develop their leadership potential and plan for change. In her previous role at RAC, Priscila managed the company’s health and wellness initiative for farm workers, Sembrando Salud , and collaborated with House Farm Workers! on the Farm Worker Immersion Program. Before joining RAC, Priscila worked in the non-profit affordable housing sector with Cabrillo Economic Development Corp., where she gained insight into the agricultural community’s contribution to the Ventura County economy. Priscila holds a B.A. in Chicana/Chicano studies, with a minor in political science, from the University of California, Los Angeles. She was born in Ocotlán, Jalisco, and has been a resident of Ventura County for more than 25 years.
Community Partner Spotlight:
The mission of the Housing Trust Fund of Ventura County is to support more housing choices, by generating and leveraging financial resources, and partnering with the public, private, and non-profit sectors to make the county a more affordable place to live.

The Housing Trust Fund of Ventura County currently has the goal of raising $5 million by the end of the year. This is part of a rare opportunity to bring a $10 million state matching grant, using Proposition 1 proceeds, to Ventura County to fund affordable housing development. Learn more here .
In addition, the Housing Trust Fund recently announced the launching of the Housing Land Trust Ventura County , a community land trust that will focus on low-income housing. It will operate as a separate non-profit. By taking the cost of land out of the equation, the trust hopes to reduce the cost of affordable housing development.
Volunteer Appreciation
We love our volunteers. Are you excited to get involved? Many hands make light work.
 House Farm Workers! has established committees in Ventura County. These volunteer-driven committees are the heart of the organization and have played a critical role in advocating on behalf of the farm worker community for the past 10 years. The city groups mobilize public support, engage public officials, and collaborate with other grassroots organizations to ensure affordable housing for farm workers.


Interested? Click below for more information.
Support House Farm Workers! while you shop.
House Farm Workers!
805-921-0430  info@housefarmworkers.org 
www.housefarmworkers.org