From Our Hands To Yours

From Our Hands To Yours portrays the contributions and lives of agricultural workers while highlighting Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers (SJFMC) and its Migrant Outreach Team's commitment to eliminating barriers and providing access to health care for the farmworkers in southern New Jersey.

While most New Jerseyans are privileged to have access to abundant, affordable produce year round, many of us don't know where that food comes from. Or who tends and harvests the crops. Each year, millions of farmworkers and their families labor in orchards, vineyards and fields across the country to provide us with fresh fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products.

Due to the many extreme conditions and challenges agricultural workers encounter, many farmworkers suffer poorer-than-average health. Without the help of Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers' Migrant Outreach Team, along with our providers, clinical support staff and health centers, our local farmworkers would lack access to health care, education and other services. At SJFMC we are committed to helping farmworkers in any way we can and enhancing their lives by providing them with compassionate health care and empowering them through health education and promotion. We find that their positivity, pride and determination are admirable!

As they work hard for better lives for themselves and their families, we ask you to do your part. Understand the life of a farmworker. Recognize and appreciate their various cultures and contributions to our communities, and say thanks to the helping hands that put food on our plates.

This book, From Our Hands To Yours, is Southern Jersey Family Medical Centers' way of showing our respect and appreciation for the migrant seasonal farmworkers.