This week, March 24 – 31, 2025 is National Farmworker Awareness Week, sponsored by the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs. This week of recognition includes a nationwide drive for long-sleeved shirts for our farmworkers.
Our farmworkers are a valuable asset for all of Pennsylvania’s farms and orchards, making sure that our communities can enjoy the wonderful produce our counties have to offer. Not only are these men and women working through all types of weather, they also are exposed daily to pesticide residue and insects in the air.
You can help by donating long-sleeved shirts to help mitigate the workers’ exposure to pesticide residues and reduce direct exposure to the heat.
Shirts should be light in color, of natural fabric and long-sleeved.
You can drop your donations off at:
— Vida Charter School, 120 E. Broadway, Gettysburg, M-F 8 am to 4 pm
or at the PathStone Organization locations below:
— PathStone – Aspers: 2150 Carlisle Road, Aspers, PA 17304
— PathStone – Chambersburg: 450 Cleveland Ave, Chambersburg, PA 17201
— PathStone – York: 517 Carlisle Ave, York, PA 17404
For more information, please contact Melissa Reyes, mreyes@pathstone.org; Amy Esquivias, aesquivias@pathstone.org, or Jose Linares, jlinares@pathstone.org.
Thank you for your generosity!
Donate Gardner is a freelance writer and journalist who came to Gettysburg from Montgomery County, Maryland. A former linguist-turned-legal professional, Donate recently retired and is eager to support her new community in a variety of ways. She currently serves as the news communicator for the Adams County migrant outreach program, Pasa La Voz and supports various pro bono legal services to migrants in the area.
An immigrant born, raised, and educated in Western Europe, Donate uses her multi-lingual background to maintain connection to other cultures, both as a writer, historical researcher and advocate.
Donate is also an active musician, multi-instrumentalist and award-winning songwriter, enjoying the rich music and arts community in Gettysburg, and supporting traveling musicians coming through the area. Donate can be reached at: dvbgardner@gmail.com.