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About Me
- MC Santana
- I am a positive person with a lot of energy. I like to meet different people and enjoy learning about other communities and places. I love to travel. I usually travel abroad once or twice a year.
Those chalupas were DELICIOUS, Dr. Santana!
ReplyDeleteYeah....so I'll post my reaction to the tour later. =D
Chalupas!!! i'm sad i had to go take a test and you all got chalupas :(
ReplyDeleteI'm bringing in two cards for us to fill out and send to our wonderful guides. If you are able and would like to make a donation to the farmworkers group please bring in a check or cash.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed taking the toxic tour. Having worked with the Farmworkers Association for the last year and a half the information was not new, but the experience was. First I have not had a field trip since high school so that was exciting. I enjoyed getting to carpool with Debbie and Kevin P. and getting to know them a little better.I also enjoyed meeting Linda. I always appreciate giving a face to the cause for which I am giving a voice. Linda standing there and sharing all the different health issues she struggles with due to pesticide exposure was heartbreaking. It was also enraging. Nothing gets my blood boiling like exploitation and corruption, and both just happen to be the building blocks of the story behind Lake Apopka. I did learn a couple of things about the politics of Lake Apopka that I did not know. As a Poli-Sci major back-door deals, greed and politicians' thirst for power keeps my major viable. As we stood there in front of that polluted lake we witnessed the tangible results of the politicians' code of conduct. One of my favorite activists Van Jones gave a speech once where he talked about how if you really stopped to think about oil and what it was you would come to realize it was death, the fossils of things that lived once long ago. We are pumping death out of the ground and are shocked when it produces destruction. Well I think the same idea can be reversed. When we plant greed, cover it in pesticides we cultivate it's product; food that can't be eaten. Food that makes the people around it sick and those who eat it sick. It's as though with every bite we are filling ourselves with double poison, the kind that can slightly be rinsed off and then there's the kind in the DNA of what's cultivated. Jeannie talked about how one of the pesticides actually fools your body and becomes part of the fatty tissue. It takes over your cells, the DNA of poison and corruption and the pain of the farmworkers literally becomes a part of you. When one reaps what they sow, how can we expect ingest anything other than poison? As an activist I believe education is the "hook" Ms Santana spoke of at the beginning of the semester. I am spreading the word and being more conscious of what I eat.
ReplyDeleteI had a wonderful time taking the Toxic Tour. I had never been to Lake Apopka, nor had I heard any of the information that Jeannie shared with us. Meeting Linda was also a special treat, because it's one thing to hear all of this information from somebody, but to meet someone who actually went through the struggle makes the problem that much more real to me. As Ana said, the car ride with Debbie was great, because it gave us time to bond as friends/classmates while we drove there and back. One of the the hardest things for me to swallow personally was that all of these former workers have so many health issues, and no one is stepping in to make sure that they're taken care of, and seeing Linda there just made it that much more real to me. The saddest part is that all of these workers who are suffering now were once farmworkers that didn't even complain when they were mistreated, they kept working because they were just happy to have jobs. To see these people taken advantage of makes me a little less than thrilled with the owners of said farms. Workers should be treated fairly, and they should never be asked to work in conditions that are detrimental to their health - this is a basic human right. Seeing the lake was another major point of depression for me. We were able to see all the vibrant plant life and animal life surrounding the lake, however, when we got close to the lake, all that we saw was murky water and a lack of life inside the lake. This is particularly frustrating for me, because I love being outside and I love natural landscapes (lakes, forests, mountains, etc). So to see an area that has been so ravaged by pesticides serves only to increase my ire. So, the combination of seeing the ravaged lake and meeting Linda served to show me that this disaster isn't exaggerated, but instead, it is very real. All in all, the trip to Lake Apopka, as well as the Toxic Tour, were a wonderful experience for me as an activist. They allowed me to see that these problems aren't in some distant far off land, but rather, they are in my own backyard.
ReplyDeleteToxic Tour
ReplyDeleteFor me, one of the most enduring themes of the toxic tour was that of corporate malfeasance\greed. It was corporate greed that environmentally devastated Lake Apopka, making it the second most polluted lake in Florida. It was corporate greed that created a harsh working environment and constant abuse for the farmworkers. And it was corporate greed that wrecked havoc on generations of black families with all sorts of health problems. But what can you expect from an entity that is legally bound to make a profit, and nothing else? Profits over people are their sole mandate.
There’s a fantastic documentary called “The Corporation” that covers this same topic. I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet to go check it out on YouTube or any other free online streaming website. It really opens your eyes into how negligent for-profit companies can be to the environment and people. Their website can be found here: http://www.thecorporation.com/. Anyway, much of what is said in the film can be applied to the growers responsible for the environmental and human rights issues surrounding Lake Apopka.
The growers are grossly indifferent to the well-being\safety of their workers and display zero loyalty to them, yet demand these people to break their backs for the company. So when the state of Florida bought the land the farmers lived and worked on, it was not surprising how little they mattered to the company. After a hard day of laboring, the only warning the workers got about being fired and removed from their homes was a sign that said not to come back to work anymore, they were closing. The growers used corporate propaganda to cover up how dangerous the pesticides were. They had their own big industry scientists, who intentionally misdiagnosed the problem occurring at the lake (it was a pesticide problem, not a nutrient problem!). The so-called Friends of Lake Apopka “environmental” group was and probably still is just a front for wealthy real estate investors who have no real intention of cleaning up the lake.
This tragic situation clearly illustrates what can happen when big corporations are not properly regulated. This is the reason activists like Jeannie and Linda are so valuable and needed so that more people can be aware of what’s going on and learn the truth. It's also important for journalists and news agencies to be more sensitive to these so-called "small, local issues", because they really do have global implications. More reporters like Bary Estabrook are needed, who actually take the time to write about these things. (http://politicsoftheplate.com/)
I have always had a passion for activism on an international scope, but in traveling to Lake Apopka and hearing the stories of the underrepresented farm workers opened my eyes to the disparities here in America nationally and locally. I have never been exposed to something so real and informative as the environmental wasteland that is Lake Apopka and the many people affected by it. Jeannie’s unwavering passion for this cause is infectious and cannot be ignored. Before I graduate in August, I would like to personally do something to contribute to the cause of the farm workers of Apopka, to continue the rights of workers with Jeannie and to ensure the message of Linda will continue on. Linda’s quilt was a beautiful artistic display of her rich cultural history and the slighted memory of the many affected by the pesticides of Apopka. On our Toxic Tour the most poignant moment for me was the neighborhood playground surrounded by machinery, toxic waste, and landfills. We as humans have become so obsessed with profit and capitalism, that we do not realize the many lives we damage in the process. Those children are directly affected by corporate greed and their lungs directly polluted by the landfills, and machinery of Stericycle. They’re not even given a chance to live a health life due to the chemically toxic neighborhood they grow up in. I think that is sad and deplorable upon these companies, the City of Apopka, and the State of Florida for even approving of this. Lake Apopka has shown me the affects of apathy and from the past, with the pesticides and farm workers, to the present with the children affected by these polluted areas. This indifference has to stop, and will the help of Jennie and the Farm workers Association of Florida, we will be the change.
ReplyDeleteHello All! Since I unfortunately missed the physical tour, I will proceed to blog from my current understanding and as well attach a service learning update.
ReplyDeleteThe conditions in Lake Apopka are atrocious, and what has come to light through our class examination of the conditions are the blatant ignorance of residents within the state of Florida. Because of the (((small))) seperation of distance, apathy can breed through the excuse of "if I was a resident of Apopka I would be pissed." Obviously, the 45 minute distance is enough separation to render the situation obsolete. The team of activists have been fighting the injustice of chemical pesticides for the past 12 years, and what has resulted? Once food becomes a vibrant economy of local food and educated consumption will "we" then begin to question where are food has come from and what has resulted from improper chemical and labor use.
With that, I would like to link you to the Simple Living Institute's blog, which I am working on as my service learning credit. Simple Living, in conjunction with several community partners, is working to build a local food guide resource. http://simplelivinginstitute.blogspot.com/
Also, I participated in the web seminar for grant writing, and my notes are as follow:
Thank you!
Ashley
INTERNAL GRANT WRITING
ReplyDeleteRead the RFP carefully and align your project EXACTLY with the goals and requirements of the grant. Propose something EXCITING for the grant proposal.
Small grants can add to the quality of smaller research projects.
By applying for internal grants, the benefit of access to culture and people offering grants, where you can talk directly to them, to get better information about what they are looking for, and talking to colleagues who have written successful proposals. Try to read their proposals.
Connect proposal with mission of institution offering grant.
Show how it will benefit an entire campus.
Leverage your expertise and experience- really show granters how you will do what you are going to do. Use past successful grant experience. Make sure you can do what you say you will do WITH the budget.
SHOW how you will use the money, show the benefit that will be gained by using that money, leverage financial support from somewhere else. Ex: provost willing to pay for half, contribution of women and gender office, etc.
Prepare for next RFP, complete what you say you will, ask for an extension, submit reports on time.
Dir of WS and Gender Studies Kathleen Underwood Grand Valley State University
“Develop a lecture series that would bring speakers that no individual program or entity could afford to plant seeds of feminist change and awareness of issues.
How the program worked: Speakers were chosen by council, coordinated logisitics including securing speakers, finding venue, promotion and advertising, specific opportunities for students to interact with speakers in addition to lecture.
Large turnout of 450-1,200 and video-taped lectures shown on community access television.
**Careful about meeting requirements of foundation: evaluations from audience, file reports each year exactly what had happened with who had been there and exactly what happened.
“What I’ve learned”: The organization (WMWSC) had developed a strategic plan but did not consider what would do if funding stream ended. Did not figure out how to capitalize on the speakers to increase attention in the program and attract new funders. Would have been asking for support from other groups as going along.
Developed a network of like-minded colleagues at sister institutions.
Allison Kimmich National Women’s Studies Association
ReplyDeleteGrants about funding people and relationships.
Grants from Ford foundation and Teagle Foundation
STEP 1: Identify prospective funders, and try to meet them.
-Attend conferences where funders may be present
-Ask for introductions, Utilize contacts.
Thought about how meeting could turn to grant proposal to meet their needs.
STEP 2: Building funding partnership
Elevator speech be able to talk very concisely what you would be able to do with funding. Project and funds. Stay mission driven. Don’t seek funding for sake of funding, needs to be tied to what your research needs to go in.
Listen to the funder. Always indicate your willingness to revise and adjust.
What animates the funder? They are an individual person fulfilling a mission for a larger organization.
They have a personality, interest, and expectations.
Consider relationship between these things: at every point of contact express willingness to meet funders needs.
STEP 3: Writing Proposals
(Green light to write inquiry letter)
Do your research:
-Review the funder’s website and look at www.guidestar.org to see tax return to list grants (Form 990) to see size and types of grants they give, types of support most common- projects, general support (rare).
-Make your case considering context for GENERALISTS that’s what program [people] are for the most part. They have some expertise that’s why they are involved but they are working with a team of colleagues less specialized. Your grant proposal goes through multiple people. General audience sans jargon in a compelling way. Adhere o word count and grant guidelines. Write clearly, be prepared to re-write, from feedback from program officers.
Budget carefully. Important to be realistic with what you can accomplish so that you can be successful with the grant. Find successful funder to double-check writing, and yourself double-check the guidelines.
STEP 4: preparing for the future
Utilize funds to secure additional funds or plan for future without funding.
-Establish “pilot” projects you can share with new funders, look at the success under my belt with this pilot, while you still have your grants.
-Include strategic planning requests as part of grant proposals**
-Project might be interesting to more than one funder.
STEP 5: Celebrating Success
Keep relationships going by reporting on time, do what you said you would do, stay in touch with program officer in-between reporting periods by highlighting successes. Success for you is success for them, and ask for more money. “We had a higher than expected pool of applicants for workshop, we are wondering if you can give us additional travel funds bc the response has been so successful.” Wrote addendum for additional 8,000 dollars.
Be thinking of next grant when current is in hand.
CONCLUSION:
Take risks, obviously grants that are not written are not funded. Be willing to put yourself out there.
Build relationships, Think Big and focus on solutions. Not another enumeration of problems (common) but funders offering grants for SOLUTIONS. Address this.
Q&A:
ReplyDeleteDo you have tips for how to fit in grant writing in schedule?
One of the things that are really helpful to write with someone so that both are kept on task, the grants are stronger, and the partnership helps to carve out time. / For me, some were so important that time was set aside FOR grant writing.
Prospecting: Where to go to find funders for Women’s Studies. Where do you go?
Tools online, foundation center is a nonprofit library for grant prospects. The campus resources are good—office of research “I have an idea for a project, and I am looking for a funder, do you have any suggestions?” Have a sense of what you want to do before you seek funders. Have project first then seek funding.
Collaborating: Have you collaborated with other non-profits that only 5013c’s are eligible for? How do you develop relationships with partners in the grant-seeking process?
“Hey, this is who I am this is what I’m doing” They will usually respond with references to more likely collaborators.
Ask a lot of questions, what they want what they are looking for in their funding
How does a first-time grant seeker establish her expertise?
You’re already an expert in that area.
If said no, can ask for FEEDBACK
How to use success?
Measures as likelihood of being successful in future grants. I can follow through with the money, look at all of these successes. Sometimes there is no relationship. Look at guidelines.
Going on the Toxic Tour was a real eye opener for me. Even though I have friends who have worked with the Farm Workers Association it was a great experience to see everything in person. Learning the history of the farms and the pesticide use was very valuable. I am so thankful for Jeannie and Linda for spending the day with us and taking us to all the different cites we visited. The most infuriating one was the children’s play park near the medical waste building and the landfills. I’m so angry that people who are more privileged do not know nor care to know where all our waste goes.
ReplyDeleteSince we were in the car with Linda we were able to ask her more questions and get a better idea of what her life was like as a farm worker. Hearing her story made it click more for me about the challenges that she and her family faced. Also, it explained why she and her family stayed in this profession even though they were treated poorly. The farm owners and managers were very good at making people think that they didn’t have any options so they continued on.
Jeannie brought up a very interesting point that the only two professions that are not protected equally by worker right laws are field and domestic labor; the two labors done most by slaves. It is important that we see the historic and cultural relevance in the injustices that we fight even to this day. So much of what activist do are a continuation of what generations before us worked on. I hope that all of us are able to internalize what we learned and are able to make changes in our own lives that enable real and lasting change for these people.
The toxic tour was very eye opening and at times a little scary, not only hearing about the amount of pollution that has taken place but also hearing about the conditions that the farm workers had to endure. Having one of the farm workers on the tour was wonderful, sometimes when there is an expert and not an actual person with lived experience the message will not be felt as strongly. I feel that the hook in this situation is the people, these farm workers are still struggling and dealing with health problems. On the tour I had a chance to talk with the farm work (and sadly I can’t remember her name but I’m pretty sure most of us talked with her) and she was telling me about how when they were working they were denied bathroom breaks and that pregnant women even worked. She also explained that if you could do some type of work then you worked and that mothers were forced to bring small children to work with them and if the children could not work then they would have to sit in a van. The fact that these people are treated with just a low amount of respect is disgusting. The farm workers are treated as if they are just workers and not real people. Which made me think differently about farms and how I get my food, how other people are suffering in order to feed the masses. It is sad that the farming industry cares more about making money then the well being of people.
ReplyDeleteThe conditions of the farms effects the farm works directly but the chemicals are effect everything including the farm workers, the farm land, Lake Apopka, the consumers of the crops, and the Apopka residents. It was hard to understand that even after it had been acknowledged that there are harmful chemicals in Lake Apopka that there was a boat ramp and a sign that talked about how you can swim and fish there. The lake was green and foaming, at our first stop on the tour there were signs talking about DDT it’s unbelievable that at the second stop there was no mention of this. Instead there is a big sign talking about all the work that is being done to restore the lake and how far things have come. At the second stop we were told about a group called “Friends of Lake Apopka” and how they are seemly an environmental group that is working to restore the lake and after learning more about the group and their real intentions it has been interesting talking to people and getting to inform them with more information about the group. As in activist I feel it is most important to inform the community at large, while talk to friends, family, and even before this field trip I have realize that the situation with Lake Apopka and the farm workers is not a well known. Getting people to realize and understand what is going is important in order for there to be change. I also think that electing officials that want to create change and work on farm workers rights and cleaning up the lake is crucial. I believe that the only solution is to put policy in place and to encourage the community to be active and demand change.
I had a great experience going on the Toxic Tour. I've only had a little education on migrant farm workers and farm workers in general here in the United States. It was great to go into this tour and learn so much. The environmental situation there is bad, but I believe how the farm workers were and are being treated is even worse. I was traveling in the car with Linda that day so it was great to hear a lot of her stories first-hand. You could hear the frustration and anger in her voice when she discussed the conditions she had to work in.
ReplyDeleteThe environmental conditions are definitely something to consider too. Who knows what kind of economy the areas around Lake Apopka would have today if the lake wasn't destroyed by toxic pesticides. There would also be more families and fishermen out there enjoying the beauty of the lake. It was eye-opening to hear the stories of how popular the lake used to be and then going to see the deserted wasteland that has taken its place.
I believe that the environmentalists and the farm workers need to work together to find a better solution for both of their problems. I was in a daze during this trip because of the heat, the bugs, and the flood of information. It was only when I able to sit at home and reflect that I was able to take in all that I learned that day. I felt bad for complaining about the conditions outside when the farm workers dealt with those conditions every day for many hours. I’m really glad I go the chance to go on this trip. Since the Toxic Tour I’ve been sharing what I have learned with all of my friends and family.
I unfortunately missed the tour due to not feeling well, so I will base this blog posting off of the readings and the videos. What really is awful about this situation is the complete disregard for human life, well being, and our natural environment. It is clear that that the farm workers of Lake Apopka are suffering poor health from pesticides, severe economic injustice, and are lacking the basic necessities to maintain good health. The environment and natural habitat of the area has been poisoned due to industry pesticides, and pose a further health threat to people who live in the area. We are all knowledgeable of this injustice, but the question I have been pondering is, how do we get the population to take note of this? As activists, it is up to us to make others aware of injustices, especially one so awful occurring in our community.
ReplyDeleteThe part that angers me, besides the situation itself, is the indifferent response many would feel to the people working in Lake Apopka. We cannot continue to allow mass pollution and the disregard for human well-being continue. However, I am not sure what it would take to gain the interest of the public and get them into action. The only thing I could think of would be a mass information campaign highlighting the dangers and injustices of the area. Even as I am thinking about how to go about this, I am not even sure if it would work.
I just heard a story about how farmers think it is too hard for them to change to organic farming. It made me so mad cause they only talked about how it would be harder and more expensive for them but there was no mention of migrant workers. I know that not all farmers hire large amount of people to pick for them but I would guess that it’s a good number. They just seemed so hooked on the expenses and not much about the benefits for everyone.
ReplyDelete