17962 Sonoma Highway, Boyes Hot Springs
P.O. Box 166, Glen Ellen, CA 95442-0166
933-0VWS [0897] email: vws@vom.com

In June, we opened Vineyard Workers Services’ headquarters, Centro de Recursos Para Trabajadores del Campo [The Farmworker Resource Center] at 17962 Sonoma Highway, Boyes Hot Springs. With a staff of three employees and two volunteers, we are offering housing provision assistance, platicas on subjects of interest, and hosting St. Joseph’s Mobile Health Clinic on alternate Wednesdays. Our George T. Rockrise Memorial Resource Library offers an array bilingual and ESL materials and access to the Internet. The office is also available for committee and board projects/meetings.

Our board meets on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Look for the new office just behind that great Mexican Restaurant, La Hacienda Taqueria. If you are interested in improving the quality of life for our farmworker friends, please join us! For more information, please call us at 933-0VWS.

We are proud to announce the grand opening of the Vineyard Workers Services’ headquarters, Centro de Recursos Para Trabajadores del Campo, The Farmworker Resource Center. To celebrate this milestone, we are inviting the community to join us on October 28 from 3-7 pm. We have the honor of sharing these festivities with our neighbors, the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance, who are also opening their new office and welcoming their new Executive Director, Claudia Glade.

Mexican Consulate Identification Card Issuance. On December 9^th, the Mexican Consulate will issue Mexican Identification cards at Father Roberts Hall, behind St. Francis Solano Church [469 Third St. West, Sonoma]. There are only a limited number of appointments available, so call early to reserve a place! VWS’ Comité de Intercambio Socio Cultural Committee, comprised of local leaders, other Spanish speakers, and VWS board members, is again overseeing this project. For details or to volunteer please contact Miguel Gonzalez at 933-0897.

Mexican Independence Day 2000 - Shout of Dolores was a resounding success. Friday evening’s celebration included a color guard, Mariachis, and speeches by community leaders and the Mexican Consul.

Saturday, nearly a thousand people danced to Odisea Show’s music at Father Roberts Hall. Our Comité and St. Francis are to be congratulated for this great success!

VWS awarded a scholarship to aspiring teacher, Maricarmen Reyes, a 2000 graduate of Sonoma Valley High School. We will be awarding another scholarship next May. In keeping with our mission, the student must be college-bound and a member of an agricultural worker’s family. To make a donation for the scholarship fund, checks can be sent to our P.O. Box. Please note if your donation is for the Scholarship Fund. For more information, please contact Patricia Galindo at 933-0898.

In partnership with Burbank Housing Development Corporation, we are continuing our search for a farmworker housing development. If you know of an available site, please call us at 933-0898!

We recently visited four farmworker housing sites in Napa County, one of which was a harvest season labor camp providing lodging, hygiene facilities, and a mess tent for 30 workers. We are encouraged to learn that State law does not prohibit temporary quartering of workers.

La Casa is now in its 9th year of service to Sonoma Valley’s farmworkers. Twice weekly, from Aug. 28th - Nov. 8th, many dedicated community members are giving of their time and unique talents. Miguel Gonzalez, La Casa’s program director, reports we are again providing hot meals, ESL classes, health care, guest speakers, clothing, bedding, and bulk food for our farmworker friends and their families.

Each evening a great meal is prepared by Maria Gonzalez, volunteer Lucy Schweizer, & others. This year Pat Spicer & Jim Galindo are directing volunteer tutors in a multilevel ESL curriculum. According to Miguel, the ESL program is such a success that people don’t want to go home at the end of the evening and are asking for a continuation of the ESL classes after the harvest season ends. We are exploring avenues for meeting this need.

St. Joseph’s Mobile Health Clinic is providing medical care this year – THANK YOU ALL!

We wish to acknowledge and thank the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance for awarding VWS with a grant for the continuation of La Casa de la Amistad.