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Hispanic Communications Network & La Red Hispana Join The Association Of Farmworker Opportunity Programs To Improve Access To Pesticide Safety Information Among Spanish-Speaking Farmworker Communities In The U.S.

 

Press Release
May 10, 2021

Washington, D.C. – Hispanic Communications Network (HCN), together with its La Red Hispana multimedia networks, are joining the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) to raise awareness about the health disparities U.S. farmworker women face due to pesticide exposure, lack of access to proper health care, and more. 

“Exposure to pesticide residues may lead to devastating health hazards that can be prevented. Through AFOP’s National Farmworker Training Program, we ensure that over 40,000 farmworkers a year receive life-saving tools to prevent a health issue due to pesticide exposure.” – Melanie Forti, AFOP’s Health & Safety Programs Director.

AFOP’s Health & Safety Programs operate the largest and most extensive national program of pesticide safety for farmworkers in the country. Through its collaboration with AFOP, HCN is helping raise awareness and improve access to existing programs among farmworker communities by enhancing the work of AFOP’s trained educators on the ground, while also expanding into additional rural and emerging markets — with the goal of reducing preventable injuries and illnesses from pesticide exposure.

“Raising awareness among farmworkers about ways to reduce the risks of pesticide exposure by following health measures promoted by AFOP will help enhance the well-being of some of the most valuable and vulnerable members of our communities”, said Alison Rodden, CEO of HCN. “We have been partnering with AFOP for over a decade. HCN is dedicated to ensuring farmworkers and their families have access to in-culture, in-language, and health literacy-appropriate information and resources. This approach is critical to promote occupational safety among one of our most underserved groups of essential workers in the US”. 

In an effort to inform farmworkers about pesticide safety, HCN is launching a nation-wide radio campaign featuring “edu-tainment” and human interest story public service announcements in its daily La Red Hispana radio programs. Additionally, the initiative will include live mentions during Bienvenidos a America, HCN’s weekly call-in radio show dedicated to immigration, naturalization and adjusting to life in the US, hosted by the recognized journalist José López Zamorano. 

The initiative will run during Farmworker Women’s Health Week May 9 to 15, 2021, in an effort aimed at increasing public consciousness and understanding of the health risks faced by farmworker women — and their families as an extension —  from handling pesticides in the fields. 

Learn more about how to protect your family from pesticides, follow AFOP on their social media pages, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

For more information, please contact Mercy Padilla at (202) 360-4112 or  mercy.padilla@hcnmedia.com.

About Hispanic Communications Network & La Red Hispana

Hispanic Communications Network (HCN) is a culturally driven social impact agency that also serves as the largest producer and syndicator of public interest content and programming for Spanish-language media in the US. HCN works exclusively with government, nonprofit, philanthropy and CSR clients that share its mission to improve quality of life for US Latinx communities. Through its La Red Hispana multimedia networks and influencers personalities on radio, TV, digital, social media, print and mobile platforms, HCN currently reaches a measured audience of over 8 million Latinx consumers in urban, mid-sized and rural markets weekly. Learn more at HCNMedia.com and LaRedHispana.org.

About the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs  

The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs is a non-profit, national federation of 53 non-profit and public agencies that provides training and employment services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers.  AFOP’s mission is to improve the quality of life for those workers and their families by promoting self-sufficiency through employment and training opportunities, educational attainment, and health and safety. 

For media inquiries, contact:
Mercy Padilla
mercy.padilla@hcnmedia.com
(410) 903-1496