Merlyn Calderon, national vice president and California political director for the United Farm Workers of America, will kick off a new campaign – the Fair Harvest Meals Program on Friday, April 30, at California State University, Fresno.

The program is aimed at reaching college students across the nation regarding issues affecting farmworkers, such as deaths in recent years from heat exhaustion.

The Fair Harvest Meal, which is free and open to the public, will be noon-2 p.m. at Kremen Education Building Room140.

Fresno State will be the first of several California campuses where farmworkers come to the meetings to share a meal and discuss their experiences to interest students in using their social media skills for farmworker issues such as health and diet, Calderon said

The program is presented by the university’s César Chávez Celebration Committee. The College Assistance Migrant Program at Fresno State will provide some food.

“The sharing of food transcends all differences between people,” Calderon said. “College students will host the meals. Farmworkers will bring the fruits and vegetables of their labor. The UFW will bring a 50-year history of struggle and success.”

 

Merlyn Calderon
Merlyn Calderon

 

She added, “We believe that after sharing a meal with farmworkers, college students will get active in the farmworker movement.”

She said the Fair Harvest Meal will expose Fresno State students to the UFW’s conviction that California has stronger laws protecting farm animals than farmworkers.

The UFW will take its Fair Harvest Meal presentation to universities around the nation, which stops planned at California State University, Monterey Bay, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and the University of California at Santa Cruz.

The event also will kick off the seventh annual César Chávez Education Conference at Fresno State, focusing on “Literacy and the Professional Teacher.”

For the UFW presentation, contact Ambar Alvarez Soto at 559.278.6097. For information about the conference, contact Dr. Glenn DeVoogd at 559.278.0279 or gdevoogd@csufresno.edu.

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