A memorable day that has stayed with me ever since was when I was visiting a new camp house with my advisor, Maria. This was only my second week of work, as the orientation process had delayed things for my intern partner and me.
Naturally, I felt a bit nervous and anxious about making mistakes or errors with the health assessments. I remember it being a Wednesday since we did outreach, and we arrived a few minutes earlier than usual. We decided to wait for the farmworkers to return home, which meant a wait of about 20 to 25 minutes.
At first, there was an awkward silence between Maria and me since we did not know each other well yet. However, we soon began to talk about our families and our cultures. This conversation helped me relax and loosen up significantly. By the time the farmworkers started pulling into the driveway, I felt much more relaxed and prepared to do their health assessments.
After giving the farmworkers some time to unpack, we introduced ourselves and explained that we were from Piedmont Health Services and asked if we could conduct their health assessments. They kindly invited us into their home. We immediately got to work on the health assessments and completed them without any issues. As we were leaving, the farmworkers stopped us.
They expressed their gratitude for our visit and for helping them with their health needs. As a sign of their appreciation, they gave us a bounty of fruits: two buckets of strawberries, three ears of corn, a watermelon, a cantaloupe, and a couple of tomatoes. Their generosity and gratitude deeply moved me.
This experience warmed my heart and made me feel incredibly grateful. While I have not witnessed any major injustices firsthand, I am often reminded of the farmworkers' struggles. Many of them have shared stories about enduring the scorching sun and harsh weather to provide for their families back in Mexico. Their resilience and determination motivate me to do my best in my work. This experience warmed my heart and made me feel incredibly grateful.
Seeing the farmworkers receive the help they needed and deserved filled me with pride and encouragement. It reinforced my commitment to this important work and reminded me why I chose to be in this internship.
Written by Brandon De La Cruz, ITF Student 2024