Thursday marked the return of Agricultural Worker Health Day, and dozens of farmworkers gathered in Arvin to be recognized for their hard labor and provided with health care services and resources. Clinica Sierra Vista has partnered with local organizations to provide free food and to remind Kern County's agricultural workers about the resources that are available to them. 23ABC's Breanna Polk visited the event to find out more.
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00:00 It's Agricultural Worker Health Day,
00:01 a time when there's a focus on the well-being
00:03 of farm workers to see that they're provided
00:05 with healthcare services and resources.
00:08 Here's 23 ABC's Brianna Polk with a look
00:10 at how this day helps our local farm workers.
00:13 - Farm workers are the ones that ensure
00:14 we have food on our tables year round.
00:17 And as you can see here right behind me,
00:18 there are dozens and dozens of farm workers here in Arvin.
00:22 Clinica Sierra Vista has partnered
00:23 with a number of local organizations
00:25 to provide free food and remind our farm workers
00:28 about the resources that are available to them.
00:31 Because they work from sunup to sundown,
00:33 they don't necessarily have the time
00:35 to go to your traditional primary care office.
00:38 So what we have partnered with Clinica Sierra Vista
00:41 is really ensuring that the medical mobile unit
00:43 is out here at their place of work
00:45 and can actually provide those services.
00:47 - Services Emily Duran, CEO of Kern Family Healthcare,
00:51 says include health screenings,
00:53 essential kits for working outdoors,
00:55 and scheduling future appointments.
00:57 Sonia Acosta has been a farm worker for four years now
01:00 and tells 23 ABC, it was nice to see the community
01:04 give back to those who work in the agricultural industry.
01:07 - Well, it means a lot to me
01:08 'cause you normally don't see stuff like this at all.
01:11 It's actually a good thing,
01:12 and I know it makes people feel good,
01:13 like not just about themselves, but in general.
01:16 And it's actually a help for us.
01:18 - These thoughts also shared by Christina Ibarra,
01:20 who has been a farm worker for over a decade.
01:23 She says this line of work is not easy,
01:26 especially in the summer months.
01:28 (speaking in foreign language)
01:30 - The truth is, it's really good
01:31 because people can better understand
01:33 that life in the fields is hard,
01:35 that people can take care of us, give us water,
01:37 make sure that we're okay in the heat.
01:39 That's really nice.
01:40 - Olga Miave, CEO of Clinica Sierra Vista,
01:43 says as health professionals,
01:45 it's important to focus on the necessities
01:47 that keep farm workers at the peak of their health.
01:50 - They tend to have certain conditions that are chronic,
01:54 and because of their line of work,
01:56 sometimes they go unattended.
01:58 And because of the traveling that they do
02:00 going up and down the valley,
02:02 sometimes we tend to lose track of them.
02:04 So we wanna make sure that we do a better job,
02:06 and we have all the resources out there for them
02:10 so that they can get all the care that they need
02:12 when they need it.
02:12 - In Arvin, Brianna Polk, 23 ABC News, connecting you.