MEO Long-sleeve shirt drive for farmworkers brings in 257 shirts

A Maui Economic Opportunity-led effort to collect long-sleeve shirts for farmworkers to protect them from pesticide and heat exposure netted 257 shirts from March 24 to 31 as part of an Association of Farmworker Opportunity Program national drive.

Goodwill, a reliable contributor for the last three years, was the largest donor with 150 shirts. Valley Isle Community Federal Credit Union provided 20 shirts and ʻUlupalakua Ranch, eight shirts. MEO Moloka‘i collected 10 shirts.

The shirts are distributed when MEO’s National Farmworker Jobs Program conducts Worker Protection Standard and Heat Stress Prevention training to farmworkers across the state. The trainings are among the many benefits NFJP offers to improve the lives of farmworkers.

The drive was held during Farmworker Awareness Week, which brought attention to the contributions of farmworkers and honors them.