To assist farmworkers in Apopka, Florida, students planted and cleaned debris under the hot sun, sweat dripping down their backs.
UF Hispanic Heritage Month, which began Sept. 15 and runs until Oct. 15, celebrates Hispanic culture with different events. On Saturday, 20 students traveled to Apopka to assist the Farmworkers Organization of Florida, which is a majority immigrant group, said Mariana Castro, the external director of UF Hispanic Heritage Month.
Castro said farmworkers are often left hungry and thirsty in the fields, working sunup to sundown to put food on their table and give their children more opportunities. She said it’s common for work conditions to not provide shade or bathrooms, and workers may earn as little as a penny per vegetable picked.
“I hope that this trip can provide (the students) with the tools so that they can bring that back, they can bring the knowledge back to campus and do something about it,” Castro, a 23-year-old UF biology senior, said. “Because when you learn about these issues, you don’t often forget about them.”
Kendra Blandon, a leader on the trip, said students volunteered in Apopka’s vegetation nursery and community garden project, giving them a perspective on how much immigrants provide to farms.
Blandon, a 19-year-old UF international studies sophomore, said students learned about agricultural practices, migrant rights and how consumers can support fair trade.
“We are grateful for the Apopka Farmworkers Association and what they do,” Blandon said.
On Sunday, UF Hispanic Heritage Month also hosted its first 5K and festival, called Corriendo Para Unir, or Running to Unite. The event brought in about 100 students and had bounce houses, face painting, music, arts and crafts, food and giveaways, said Ornella Saragusti, the festival director.
Justin Ortiz, the executive director of UF Hispanic Heritage Month, said the event cost $2,000 and was funded by Student Government and other UF sources.
The event raised about $300 for Chispas, a club that supports undocumented students, in donations.
“This month is super important,” Saragusti said. “It pulls in a lot of people, and it’s a huge celebration.”
UF students traveled to Apopka, Florida, on Saturday to volunteer with the Farmworkers Association of Florida. They transplanted cabbage plants into new vegetation beds at a community garden.
