Centro Campesino is a migrant farmworker and rural Latino/a membership organization that begun in 1998 and incorporated in 2000 in order to improve the lives of migrant agricultural workers and rural Latino/a residents in south-central Minnesota. Centro Campesino was founded with the philosophy that farm workers, rural Latino/as and allies must work together to positively change institutional structures that create and maintain oppression. We utilize direct service, popular education, advocacy and organizing to achieve our aims. Centro Campesino works for concrete, positive, institutional changes in the lives of the estimated 20,000 - 30,000 migrant agricultural workers who travel each year to work in Minnesota's agriculture. In 2002, our work was also expanded to directly involve year-round rural Minnesota Latino/a residents. Centro Campesino has started a college access program for Latino students to ensure access to higher education. The organization also has a youth network building young Latino leaders and community organizers. Centro Campesino has a health promoters program to educate the Latino community on current health issues. Centro works to educate non-farm worker, non-Latino/a communities about the realities of Latino/a history and life in rural Minnesota, about racism and poverty and about the need for community organizing. We seek guidance and leadership from farmworkers and rural Latinos and seek involvement and collaboration from non-Latinos. The photo is a picture of students in the Latino College Access Program on a college visit.
Our Mission
Our current mission is: to improve the lives of migrant workers and rural Latina/os and to create a strong southern Minnesota Latino/a voice. However, we are trying to expand our outreach and be more inclusive, so our new mission statement will be more centered on the general needs of Latinos in southeastern Minnesota. We work toward our mission through several different programs. Our new mission is: to improve lives within the Latino and migrant community in southern Minnesota through community organizing, education, and advocacy. This new mission statement was just created this week along with our strategic planning. This mission statement will encompass our program, and future goals. Our programs include: Immigrant Empowerment, Justice for Workers, Health Promoters, and Latino College Access - these programs were all initiated out of current needs within the Latino and migrant community.
Why We Need a New Website
A new website will enhance, and make possible, many of our goals for the upcoming years in our strategic planning. We would like to expand our programs to reach more people in need. We want to conduct fundraising efforts that include a video and an organized, user-friendly website for people to visit, in order to learn more. Within the college access program we would like to see more tools on the website for students to access (such as application forms, scholarships, etc.). We also know that the young people in the youth network will be more responsive to web-site posted events, and information. We would like to have a straight-forward community image that is clear to both our members and non-members. It would also be nice to have more health-related information on the site, as well, to encourage participation in our health promotion program. We also have an immigrant empowerment program and justice for workers program that could be more clearly defined on our website, promoted, and more easily accessed. Overall, we would like to see our current website expanded to include all of our programming information, and be more clear and organized. We want community members to feel comfortable coming to the website, and have the ability to easily find the information they are looking for.
How Our New Site Will Help Make the World Greener
Centro Campesino as a whole is trying to go more "paperless," and having a new website would only support our current efforts in that initiative. We could have more information online that people can read, see, or listen to, rather than sending or printing paper items. Many of our announcements and fundraising efforts could be done through a new website, as well, also working to reduce paper. The website could contain better donation capabilities to help us streamline that process. We also send out newsletters and those could be accessed through the website, too.
When the judges choose which non-profits will be selected to participate in this year's Challenge they will take into account testimonials from beneficiaries, donors, volunteers, board members and other
Working with Centro Campesino is great -- they are smart, serious and with a good sense of humor, and follow-through on what they say they'll do. So working with them on a website would be both effective and fun.
But Centro Campesino is also rural, Latino, and worker-based. These are qualities that mean your work with them will engage and impact very important audiences that often go ignored or overlooked.
Finally, our state needs strong organizations working for the future. Your help will help the overall movement towards sustainability and justice in our region.
Mark Schultz. I work with an ally of Centro Campesino, a farm and rural organization called the Land Stewardship Project.
Centro Campesino works tirelessly to generate ideas that will serve not only the Latino/a and farmworker population, but also the community as a whole. We have been working with them on projects to bridge differences between the Latino/a immigrant community and long-term residents of southeastern Minnesota. They are constantly seeking new partners and opportunities to spread their message to a wider audience - we started working with them after they invited us to hold educational workshops in support of one of their advocacy campaigns. A new website would give them a great portal to connect with like-minded people to create diverse, welcoming communities.
Madeline Lohman, partner organization staff member
Centro Campesino is one of the best and most creative non profit organizations in the state. With constant integrity, courage and humor they tackle some of the most challenging issues in Minnesota. Whether it's health care, worker rights, education, housing or a humane immigration policy - Centro Campesino is always right there on the front lines. They work with a wide range of allies to make the kind of community we need in rural Minnesota - a diverse, equitable community that refuses to be divided, tackles the tough issues, and looks out for all. Our state needs them. It is easy to get lost in the small towns of Minnesota, and the battles Centro Campesino wages, the changes Centro Campesino makes don't always get the attention they deserve. Your support will help many more people connect to and see one of the most hope-producing organizations in our state.
Beth Newkirk. Work with an ally organization, Organizing Apprenticeship Project.
While I was at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, studying Spanish and Chicano Studies, I learned about Centro Campesino through my Migrant Farmworkers class. We took a field trip to southern minnesota to see where they lived and worked. We met the farmworkers and their families, and the organizers of Centro Campesino. They opened their doors to us, even though we were just students trying to understand the world, and they showed us the amazing things that happen when you're compassionate, hopeful and downright diligent. Later that spring, I took a trip to Washington DC in a bus with all of them to provide translate their stories for our Senators and Representatives. Centro Campesino's small non-profit has made huge waves, and I continue to think about the profound impact they've had on me each day.
Sonja Hall, Fulbright Research Scholar in Barcelona, Spain and former volunteer
Centro Campesino is a community-based organization made up of extremely committed, passionate, articulate, genuine, savvy and strategic organizers and members that have an impact on local, state and national issues. Their focus: dignity, justice and health for migrant farmworkers and rural Latino/a communities - and for everyone that wants a future marked by respect, fairness and true community. I had the honor of working with Centro Campesino for several years as the organization began, and now am director of the Pesticide Action Network North America (PAN). Centro Campesino is an constant ally of PAN, and is engaged on national and international pesticide and immigration reform issues, both, along with their ambitious and tremendously important agenda in local communities and Minnesota. I am also a Centro Campesino donor, and seek ways to engage other donors from environmental justice and environmental health sectors, in particular, directly with Centro Campesino's work. An enhanced website would facilitate that possibility. I know that Centro Campesino supporters live throughout the U.S. and Mexico - and an enhanced website would allow all of us the chance to take action and donate more easily. Finally, Centro Campesino has always relied on youth leadership and engagement as part of its organizing - and has had a profound impact on future generations of youth in southern Minnesota. Centro Campesino's goals for youth engagement with a new website are smart and spot-on as they continue to build leadership and engagement from young people.
Kathryn Gilje, donor and ally organization
Centro Campesino has an incredible impact on the quality of life and opportunity in Minnesota for all Minnesotans: mainstream, migrant, immigrant ~ youth, parent, elder, youngster, worker, employer ~ and has shepherded, proded, pushed, empowered and carried human rights for migrants and immigrants for over ten years. I was privileged to meet Victor and Gloria and Kathryn early on in their struggle to shine a light on the injustices, issues and hardships facing migrant workers in southern Minnesota, lifting them up to the attention of communities, corporations, foundations, allies, donors across the state. It has been gratifying to see the progress made, great to meet and learn from all the new leaders and community organizers ~ Jesus, Ernesto, and many more ~ over the last five years. Support for Centro is essential particularly as the U.S. takes on the debate over comprehensive immigration reform. The complexities of the issues impacting citizens and residents ~ migrants, immigrants, and those seeking authorization ~ need to be addressed thoughtfully and deliberately. The services provided, organizing, empowering, and mobilizing of Centro Campesino staff, allies and leaders results in better understanding, dialogue and necessary changes in systems, programs and policies for all Minnesota communities.
donor and ally
I am a retired school teacher from St.Paul, Minnesota. I became acquainted with Centro Campesino as a relative of one of the early non-Latino organizers and staff members. I was so impressed, from the very beginning, with the incredible energy and dedication with which this group of people sought to improve the well-being of migrant workers across Minnesota. Many communities could take a lesson from the efforts of Centro Campesino members, in terms of their core values of family, honest work, education, and the quest for justice with equal opportunity for all people.
I have come to know and appreciate the strong bonds that are formed when people work together for a goal, even with fewer resources than many others have. I have come to know and appreciate the struggle for these things, often in the face of resistance from those not comfortable with cultures other than their own. I have come to know and appreciate the beauty of the people, and their love for the earth, for their families, and for their dream of a better life. I am a contributor, and a new website would make it easier for me to stay abreast of their work from afar.
Gary Clements - donor
I was student in Northfield High school Minnesota =] i want to Congratulate Centro Campesino because they have made possible for alot students and Parents to be involve in their education and to know how to fight against anythin. Many have reach their goal to have a good education and parents have fought agaisnt any other problem they had at work or any other places. I hope that the people who dont know about Centro Campesino gets to know them and be part of it.
Alejandra Martinez i was in Centro Campesino an ally nd Volunteer
Centro Campesino is such an important organization -locally, regionally and nationally. Their leadership is amazing-whether working on local issues with the organization's members and leaders, partner organizations, allies or students to doing collaborative work statewide and nationally on issues impacting all of us. Balancing the various campaigns, constituencies and organizing strategies is not an easy task, yet they consistently not only manage, but do so with consistency, dignity, and grace. I thoroughly support, admire and constantly learn from Centro Campesino--not only regarding the work they do but just as importantly, the way they work. Their commitment, vision, energy, and skills as organizers combined with their integrity, humor and concientizacion remain standards of excellence and...just flat out a group with whom I and many others like to work! The Department of Chicano Studies, University of MN, Twin Cities is proud to work in collaboration with Centro Campesino.
An enhanced website would provide the opportunity to increase the efficiency and efficacy in their organizing, leadership development and education work as well as support increased enhancement of organizational infrastructure. Their work positively impacts not only migrant farmworkers and rural Latinos in southern MN, but communities throughout Minnesota.
Lisa Sass Zaragoza- partner organization, volunteer and donor
