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Peace River Presbytery |
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MISSION AND JUSTICE WORK IN PEACE RIVER PRESBYTERY FARMWORKER MINISTRY Misión Peniel, the outreach farmworker ministry in Immokalee under the direction of Beth-El Farmworker Ministry, is thriving. Currently we are meeting every Sunday for worship in our own rented facility in Immokalee, holding a Bible study during the week and, of course, the ministry of food, personal care items and men's clothing for over 300 farmworkers as they return from the fields. We are grateful to those Churches who have been to Immokalee and helped on Fridays and at other times. To schedule a time for your Church group to help, contact Rev. Miguel Estrada at miguel@beth-el.info. COALITION OF IMMOKALEE WORKERS (CIW) CONNECTIONS CIW recently held a successful march on November 30th in Miami to the BURGER KING headquarters where they were holding their annual meeting. The workers pleaded with the top leaders to “come to the table” to talk about fair wages and decent living conditions. To date, BURGER KING has chosen another route saying that working and living conditions are fair and equitable, and that to pay one penny more per pound of tomatoes picked would result in the workers receiving about $17.00 an hour. Meanwhile, on November 20th Deputy Assistant US Attorney Doug Malloy (who spoke at Peace River Presbytery in 2005) has filed charges in a case in which farmworkers picking tomatoes in Immokalee say they were beaten and handcuffed in an attempt to keep them from running away and finding other jobs. The criminal complaint goes on to describe the workers inhumane living conditions, saying they were locked in box cars, trucks, crates and sheds for days. HOW CAN I HELP? I’m just one person? First and foremost: PRAY, PRAY, and PRAY some more. Continue to send postcards to Burger King and ask them to “come to the table” to work out a fair and equitable wage for farmworkers. To obtain postcards, call Jordan at CIW, 239-657-8311. Support the work of Beth-El ministries through your financial gifts as well as the gifts of your Church. For more information, go to http://www.ciw-online.org.
3-CENTS-A-MEAL HUNGER OFFERING The 2008 recipient is Misión Peniel in Immokalee. Complete information and a wealth of resources can be obtained from your program coordinator, Candy Reid.
Did you know you can enjoy a great cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, sample some roasted nuts, and enjoy good for your dried cranberries and, when the weather gets a little cooler, some of the best chocolate in the world at the Presbytery Office? We now have FAIR TRADE products for sale at the Presbytery Office and at each Presbytery meeting. So come to your meetings, or for a visit or to the Presbytery meetings prepared to purchase some great products AND enable small farmers to receive a fair price for their crops. *** Through the generosity of Beth-El Farmworker Ministry, we will be serving FAIR TRADE coffee at each Presbytery meeting. To find out more about how you can take an active part in Fair Trade work AND Hunger concerns, go to www.pcusa.org/trade or www.pcusa.org/hunger.
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