“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu, (Chinese philosopher, 604 BC - 531 BC)

It hardly seems possible that it has been 20 years since I first set out to improve conditions for farmworkers while changing the lives of college students through a small non-profit called Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF).

Yes, it’s true: SAF celebrated its 20^th anniversary in 2012, and I attended the reunion in Durham, NC where I caught up with many former interns. I was absolutely astounded at how critical one summer spent with migrant farmworkers was in shaping the entire direction of our lives. It was truly amazing—and inspiring—to see how many of us have continued our efforts in non-profit organizations, advocacy, education and the arts.

That was then                    This is now
(Smithfield, NC, 1990)           (Durham, NC, 2012)

I can still remember the feeling of shock and outrage I had as an undergraduate at Duke University when I realized that there were people not 50 miles from the walls of our campus who were living in isolated labor camps, without indoor plumbing, suffering from pesticide-related illnesses, who lacked a car, English, or funds to get medical care, legal services, day care, education—or sometimes even food. People who got up before the sun and spent 12-hour days in 95-degree heat to harvest the food we eat. People who, in extreme cases, were held against their will and forced to work in conditions which constituted slavery. 

Over the years, due in part to the efforts of SAF and other organizations, farmworkers' lives have gradually improved. Farmworkers on the East Coast have started organizing and have won small victories, such as contracts with food processors and improvements in housing laws.

Unfortunately, many problems persist. Farmworkers’ average annual income is $11,000; for a family it is approximately $16,000. This makes farm work the second lowest paid job in the nation (after domestic labor). Farmworkers are often paid by the bucket; in some states they earn as little as 40¢ for a bucket of tomatoes or sweet potatoes. At that rate, farmworkers have to pick around two tons of produce (125 buckets) to earn $50. Source (and more facts)

SAF has never given up trying to improve the lives of farmworkers while helping students develop into life-long social justice advocates. Today, most SAF summer interns are college students whose parents are farmworkers, and who know first hand the problems they still face. These interns spend 10 weeks in rural communities serving farmworkers and their families at health clinics, legal services programs, migrant education and Head Start centers, unions, and other community groups. SAF also works with middle and high school farmworker youth to support their efforts to attend college. In addition, SAF leads several statewide and national advocacy coalitions. Learn more about SAF.

My experiences at the SAF reunion last fall started me thinking about how I could help SAF now. What better way, I thought, than to combine my New Year’s Resolution to get in shape with raising money for a cause. I joined the running group "Moms in Motion," signed up for the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half-Marathon on May 11, and set up this fundraising page with SAF. Voila: my own personal “run-for-a-cause” was born.

Here’s where YOU come into the picture. My goal is to raise $4,440 by March 31 (Cesar Chavez’s birthday). This amount covers the direct costs of sponsoring one summer intern. I am grateful for whatever amount you can contribute, whether it’s $5 or $50 or $500, to help me reach my goal by March 31.

• Donate right now via credit card OR
• Write a check payable to SAF (with ‘Carolyn Corrie’s Campaign’ in the subject line) and send to:  SAF, 1317 West Pettigrew Street, Durham, NC 27705. Be sure to email me so I know the check is on the way and I can add your pledge to my daily total.

Why $4,440?

•  $4,440 is the amount needed to sponsor ONE SUMMER INTERN in SAF’s 10-week intensive summer program. Wouldn’t it be amazing if together we sponsored a 2013 intern? That we made a life-changing experience possible for a college student, most likely someone who grew up in a farmworker family? That we helped provide 10 weeks of health or legal services, or a teachers' aide or organizing assistant, for farmworkers in the Southeast?
• ​One thing I learned while working at SAF is that if you want students from farmworker families to participate in a “volunteer” summer internship, you need to cover ALL their costs, including lost “opportunity costs.” For example, most students would have worked a summer job to pay for their living expenses (and help support family expenses) and to save money for the next school year.
• Here’s the budget breakdown of direct costs (staff support adds another $3,635)

Travel              $490 

Training            $520

Housing            $580

Per diem           $1350

Scholarship        $1500

TOTAL             $4,440

 “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Why this quote?

I chose this quote for my fundraising page because it aptly describes the decision I made, and thousands of other students and farmworker activists have made, to GET INVOLVED: to learn, to engage, to serve, to think, to reflect, to fight, to document, to speak out, to give. Although we may have wondered whether the actions of just one person could really make a difference, we took the plunge.  These first single steps started a trajectory, a journey of all the people and ideas that make up SAF, a journey which continues to grow and, yes, to make a difference. I hope you will decide to join us in this journey, because everyone has a role to play.

On another, more personal level, the quote is appropriate for my “jog-a-thon” goal of completing a half-marathon to raise money for SAF.  When I started in January, I could barely jog 3 miles. Now, I have successfully run 10 miles (with the wonderful support of my teammates in Moms in Motion) and I am confident that I can make it to 13.1 on May 11, especially knowing that I have your support!

THANK YOU!

SAF's grassroots fundraising goal is to raise $20,000 through online fundraising and house parties!

SAF uses money raised from individuals to:

• conduct outreach to students and farmworkers,
• provide training, stipends, and scholarships for our interns, students organizers, and youth,
• share documentaries and presentations with the general public, and
• provide a living wage and full benefits to our staff

Thanks to those that have already donated this year through our 20-year anniversary sponsorships. We hope that you will consider giving again to help sustain our work for the next 20 years.

Alexa Dilworth

Andrea Kells

Carolyn Corrie

Cris Rivera

Evan Hughes & Leanne Simon

Irene Godinez

Irving Zavaleta

Lyndsey Beutin

Mercedes Hernandez-Pelletier

Patrick Stawski

Ronald Garcia Fogarty