About
The Foundation for Farmworkers is generating funds to provide services and support for farmworker families to be free from fear of family separation, to recover from disaster, and to pursue higher education.
The Issue
There are more than three million farmworkers in the United States whose labor is essential to our country’s ability to access healthy, secure and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Without benefits, steady work, or guaranteed wages, the majority of farmworkers are financially unstable and have difficulty overcoming unexpected hardships and expenses.
To provide farmworkers with opportunities to improve the quality of life for their families, they need targeted, sustained services and support that meet their unique, challenging needs in order to overcome the barriers they face. Moreover, investments in the farmworker community can ensure academic success for the children of farmworker families, and with it, access to opportunities.
While East Coast Migrant Head Start Project (ECMHSP) continues to be the premier provider of high-quality Head Start services to farmworker families, the federal funds cannot be used to support the other services our farmworker families desperately need. The Foundation for Farmworkers will raise funds that allow ECMHSP to meet the immediate needs of farmworker families that extend beyond the classroom.
Creating Success
The Foundation for Farmworkers is generating funds to provide services and support for farmworker families to be free from fear of family separation, to recover from disaster, and to pursue higher education.
Funds raised target the areas that achieve the highest impact on the lives of migrant farmworkers in the United States. East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, its sister organization, developed a system to gather information from parents and community stakeholders on the most urgent needs of farmworkers.
Through funds generated by The Foundation for Farmworkers, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project will invest in:
- immigration services program to provide families with support and guidance as they explore their immigration options;
- an emergency assistance program will be able to help farmworker families recover from unexpected financial hardships;
- and scholarships to support the educational goals of farmworkers and their children.
Board of Directors
The Foundation has an eight-member Board of Directors, all of whom volunteer their time and service
John E. Menditto serves as the President of the Foundation. He is the General Counsel and Director of Risk Management for East Coast Migrant Head Start Project and a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law. He has been a member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar and the New York Bar for almost thirty years.
Maria C. Garza is the Chief Executive Officer at East Coast Migrant Head Start Project (ECMHSP). East Coast Migrant Head Start Project is a non-profit organization that provides high-quality comprehensive Head Start services to farmworker families in 48 centers located in 10 different states. Maria graduated from Florida International University with a master’s degree in marketing and social media. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Barry University and an associated degree from Miami Dade College.
Steven Mayne serves as the Treasurer of the Foundation. He is the Chief Financial Officer of East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. He has held the designation of Certified Public Accountant for eighteen years and received his Master’s degree from St. John Fisher College.
José Simón Villa, Ph.D. serves as the Secretary of the Foundation He is the Chief Executive Officer of East Coast Migrant Head Start Project. Dr. Villa has dedicated his career to the education field, including nine years in early childhood education, more than 25 years in higher education, and as a Program Consultant for the U.S. Department of Education. He received his Master of Science from the University of Oregon, and his Doctorate degree from The Ohio State University.
Anais Beddard is the manager of Strategic Accounts at Lady Moon Farms, a premier grower/shipper of organic produce on the East Coast. She has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami.
Gabriella Procacci is the Director of Community Outreach at Procacci Brothers, one of the largest wholesale produce distributors in North America. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Temple University.
Daniel Edwards serves as the Global Practice Managing Partner, Private Equity, at Heidrick & Struggles, an international executive search firm. He received his Masters of Arts in Modern Languages from the University of Oxford.
Maria Jimenez serves as the Safety & Social Compliance Manger at Lipman Family Farms, America’s largest field tomato grower. She received her Bachelor's degree in Business from Edison Community College.
Bennett Haynes is the director of produce and specialty ingredient sourcing at José Andrés ThinkFoodGroup restaurants. He started his career as an organic farmer and is currently pursing his Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University.
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Community Investments
The Foundation for Farmworkers will raise funds that would allow its sister organization, East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, to meet the immediate needs of farmworker families that extend beyond the classroom.