Thank You...

for giving to the fund to feed immigrant farmworkers and their children over the winter. In November we gave food to 80 immigrants, in December to 40 people and in January to over 100 people. Your donation has allowed us to purchase food at the Food Bank of Western Mass. But, we still need your help. Most families won't have steady work until late March or April and are struggling to feed their families and pay their bills.

In December, with the collaboration of Brightwood Health Center and the impetus from Marty Nathan, MD, we began offering a medical clinic for immigrants who have no health insurance. Some individuals are visiting a doctor for the first time since coming to the US. Many have serious medical problems which have gone untreated and require attention. The Pioneer Valley Project has started a special fund to help immigrants purchase medications they need and for visits to specialists. The clinic is available to immigrants twice a month, during the evening. We are encouraging everyone to come to the clinic to establish a relationship with a doctor and to get a check up and we're helping people connect with dental care, which is a critical need.

Over 100 people came to our January meeting where we shared information and a meal. We surveyed the group about their needs and they told us that their most pressing problems include lack of work over the winter, needing help paying for heat, transportation problems (because they aren't eligible for drivers licenses), and wanting to learn English. We continue to provide information about their civil rights and offer them access to legal services. In January we started offering ESL classes once a week, free to all who would like to learn.

This weekend we'll have our monthly community meeting where we'll talk about a community garden project , how to support families who need child care and to support individuals who are providing day care so that we can make this service more affordable and more effective for all involved. We will also offer to assist families to access heat (some have none because they can't afford oil) and to help people sign up for fuel assistance to help them pay their heating bills.

We still need your help to continue to purchase food for March and hopefully April. If you would like to contribute to the food fund or the medical fund please send your check to the:

Pioneer Valley Project

c/o Holy Family Church

235 Eastern Avenue

Springfield, MA 01108

Please specify the immigrant food program or the immigrant medical fund.

Thank you!

Posted for M. Cuerda.