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.
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