I recently had the privilege of attending my first outreach experience with El Futuro es Nuestro (one of the coolest organizations ever!!). That day, we visited a flea market, and our job was to go up to people, introduce ourselves, and share the goals of El Futuro. Afterwards, we visited a house where multiple farmworkers live to lead a workshop on the dangers of heat.
I remember the heat that day was intense, which made me even more alert and tuned in as we went through the workshop. We happened to be accompanied by the Executive Director of SAF, who made a comment when we arrived. I don’t remember exactly what she said, but I know it was about the condition of the house we were pulling into. There was a big tree in front, so I hadn’t noticed anything at first. But once I saw the full view, I can’t lie—I was taken aback.
Had I just driven past, I probably would’ve thought the home was abandoned, or at the very least, not recently lived in. The bottom of the house was exposed, with visible space underneath. There was a fridge outside that seemed to be half-working at best, and the bathroom was located outside and extremely worn out. It’s also worth noting that our Executive Director was there to help deliver window heating/cooling units, as the house didn’t have any system in place.
I’m not sure exactly what I felt at that moment—it took me a few days to process everything I saw. But from talking to the farmworkers, listening during the workshop, and collecting surveys, it was clear they also recognize these injustices and are eager to organize with others. The people who attended had requested the workshop not only for themselves but for their colleagues, and they were ready to join El Futuro to help spread the information further.
What really stuck with me was the energy and commitment they showed. Knowing that people are excited to keep working together to improve conditions and support one another left a lasting impression on me.