A little over a year ago, the Farmworker Resource Center (FWRC), also known as Proyecto Campesino, was just an idea for DSS. Since the program launched, it has provided services to nearly 3,500 workers, held 84 events with partner agencies, and conducted 16 resource fairs at the request of employers, according to a March 12 report to the Board of Supervisors.
The FWRC focuses on three pillars of service: helping clients with forms and connecting them with aid, providing customized resource fairs for employers, and working with the Mexican consulate to assist clients.
The FWRC provides services both in-office at the Workforce Resource Center in Santa Maria, and out in the field using its mobile office—a van specially outfitted for outreach with a table, seating, and electronics.
Many of the people coming to the FWRC for help need help navigating services, especially the Mixteco-speaking population, who comprise 30% of FWRC customers. To translate and engage with this population, the FWRC has staff from Herencia Indigena available, as well as a Mixteco-speaking staff member, Leticia Santiago, ready to walk people through the process with applications.
The FWRC has three full-time staff members, supplemented by interns from the Workforce Development Board’s paid work experience programs, as well as interns from Allan Hancock College.
At the March 12 Board meeting, statistics were presented showing the FWRC’s impact. Since its inception in July 2023, the FWRC has engaged with about 11,000 farmworkers, registered over 5,000 into its program, and made about 3,500 service referrals.
Of those served, 41% needed emergency supportive services, 26% needed help completing forms for health and human services, 25% needed education access and support, 4% needed financial or tax assistance, 2% needed help with employment assistance and advocacy, and 2% needed help with labor rights. A breakdown of what these categories encompass can be seen below (click to enlarge).
The FWRC has done demographic analysis to understand their customer base. The most common primary language is Spanish, and the most common household size is four to six. The highest percentages of those seeking help were female (over 60%) within the ages of 29 to 39 (about 38%).
The FWRC program was launched using an $833,000 grant from the California Department of Community Services & Development and $208,250 in required County matching funds. The grant made funding available to counties interested in developing resource centers and programs designed to address the needs of farmworkers and their families. The grant is overseen by the Department of Social Services and Workforce Development Board, with a service delivery term of July 15, 2023 to May 15, 2024.
Providing the same level of service for a second year would cost $600,000. While the County has not committed the necessary funds, the FWRC has applied for numerous grants in order to continue service. In all, the FWRC has applied for about a half-dozen grants totaling $4.5 million.
One of them has already borne fruit. The Employment Development Department has awarded the FWRC a Farmworker Advancement Program grant of $900,000 over two years (to March 31, 2026). The grant will support existing services in addition to direct education and workforce services for 70 farmworkers. The FWRC will offer services on several different tracks: for youth (dependents of farmworkers), adults (with subtracks for documented and undocumented), and employers (engagement). The grant will allow the FWRC to provide those 70 workers with workforce/employment services, paid work experience, vocational tuition costs, and wraparound services. The level of referral services going forward may vary depending on the outcome of the other grant funding requests.
At the March 12 meeting, Supervisors praised the FWRC. Supervisor Nelson called its first year a “huge success” and said he was “a big fan.” Supervisor Hartmann agreed. “When you think about what the mission of our county is, to help the most vulnerable,” she said, “this is it.”