At the beginning of the new school year, many things in the world were going on, especially here in California. We had massive fires going around and many people had to evacuate while we were still in a pandemic. The air quality was terrible and not safe for any of us to breathe. While all of this was going on, our farm workers were out in fields still working. They put themselves at risk to provide food for us and we will never forget that.

A group of students from Pinole Valley High School decided to join and work together with California Farmworker Foundation. Many of our farm workers needed school supplies for their children and we decided to work on this project to supply 40 children with backpacks filled with school supplies.

We started off by creating a GoFundMe where we raised $1,196.85! Our original goal was to raise $500 but instead, we raised way more which made us all happy because there were so many people who wanted to help. We also had donations bins located at Pinole Middle’s front office and a local restaurant, Tandoor. We received many donations from community members and students. This project was starting off with a great start and gave us hope. There were so many people invested in this project which made us want to do our best.

After receiving the donations and money donated, we had to put the backpacks together. We used all the money on school supplies, like crayons, markers, backpacks, headphones, etc. The group decided to meet together to fill the backpacks and we did so by meeting at a local park. We all wore a mask and took many precautions due to the pandemic. We all worked together and had so much fun doing so. We all talked about how important this was to us and how we were happy we did this.

When the backpacks were ready it was time to give them to the organization. We gave them to CFF and they held a drive at Delano, California. Sadly we weren’t able to make it due to the long distance but we were there in spirit! The drive was a success! Many people came and the backpacks were distributed. Click here to watch a video CFF made on the day of the drive.

We were able to give back to this community that does a lot for us and help their children become more successful in school during these crucial times.

I interviewed some of the students who worked on this project and asked them about their experience.

Kathleen Rodriguez decided on this project because she wanted to help the people who work hard to feed us. “They work long hours through different seasons just so we can have food on our plates,” she said. This was important to Kathleen because “these parents do everything for these kids and I relate that with my family. I felt good because I knew I was helping people from my community,” she mentioned, “not only does it benefit your community but it helps you grow as a person.” After doing this project she felt amazing because she was doing something good and she does plan on doing something similar to this again.

Napali Padalino wanted to help little kids so he decided to take on this project. Napali said, “this is important to me because I like helping people and making them happy, I learned that it’s good to give and when you put your mind to something, it can happen.” Napali felt happy after doing this project and plans on doing something similar again.

Kiren Subrayan thought this was an interesting project to work on. This was important to Kiren because it was a great social experience that taught him a lot about the struggles some face. Kiren gained a great social experience from the project, “this allowed me to meet new people while also doing something great for others in need,” he mentioned.

Emely Echavarria decided to do this project because she wanted to give back to the people who haven’t failed to supply us with food despise all the challenges they face. “This project was important to me because I wanted to let them know that their work doesn’t go unnoticed. The effort they put into things is deeply appreciated,” Emely said. Emely wanted to also help these kids feel like school is important and get them excited for the new school year. Emely said she does plan on doing another project like this, “nothing beats the feeling of knowing you helped someone out,” she mentioned.

Lastly, I, Glendy Jimenez, decided to take on this project because our farmworkers get neglected a lot. They work long hours and provide food for us. They are important to us and they deserve way more. I was able to relate to this community, especially because I am first generation with two immigrant parents. I wanted to give back to this community and help their children become more successful in school. Education is really important to me and it’s important to me that others get it too. This was a way to help these kids be prepare and excited to learn. I felt accomplished after doing this project and help me grow more as a person. I do plan on doing something similar to this again.

Hopefully, this encourages you and others to take on projects like this. It leaves a great feeling after and teaches you new things. Thank you to everyone who donated and who supported us. We hope we made you all proud!