Statewide caravan honoring immigrant workers drives to North Fork
During a time where fear and uncertainty dominate news headlines, and sightings of federal agents on the East End are becoming more frequent, Rural & Migrant Ministry is bringing humanity back into the conversation around the treatment of immigrants, and specifically, farmworkers.
Empathy is the driving force behind Rural & Migrant Ministry’s statewide caravan, which kicked off on the North Fork Saturday, Aug. 2. In an effort to honor New York’s immigrant workers and to cast a spotlight on their positive contributions to its rural economy, dozens of participants will travel thousands of miles from Long Island to Buffalo until Aug. 9 to celebrate and show appreciation for the vulnerable, migrant worker community.
Along the way, participants will also support local businesses, hold vigils at significant locations, have gatherings, play music and more.
“Most of the time, [the rural migrant] doesn’t get the credit that they deserve, in terms of putting food on our tables … A lot of our small towns in the rural areas are pretty much built on migrant families,” said Wilmer Jimenez, chief program officer for Rural & Migrant Ministry. “We want to show small businesses the support we’re giving them, but also for them to understand the impact of this new administration. We want to make sure we’re emphasizing that we care about the rural economy.”
The ‘Save New York’s Rural Economy: A Journey of Empathy Caravan’ started in the Hamptons, and the procession of decorated cars made their way along the East End, making stops at the Amandla Rural Worker Education Center in Riverhead, the First Presbyterian Church in Southold, past St. Agnes Church in Greenport and then ending the first leg of the trip at the Orient Congregational Church.
The Rev. Ron Garner of Orient Congregational Church and a RMM board member said his congregation hosted a vespers service and a meal, which was well-attended by people in the community. Although traffic kept the caravaners from stopping at St. Agnes, the pastor said there was a large contingent of folks standing in front of the church waving signs in support. As drivers passed by, they honked their horns with enthusiasm, he said.
“I think the whole purpose of the caravan for the East End, and on the South and North Fork, was to familiarize people with Rural & Migrant Ministry,” the Rev. Garner said. “Now, I’ve been tasked as a board member to figure out ways to keep the enthusiasm going, so in this very fearful time for our migrant workers, we want to be supportive allies and advocates for them.”
Rural & Migrant Ministry, a multi-faith, state-wide organization with four locations in various regions in New York, is helmed by its executive director, the Rev. Richard Witt. The nonprofit’s mission is to empower individuals from marginalized backgrounds, particularly farmworkers and rural laborers, by providing educational resources, youth programs and legal assistance.
After serving at as a pastor at Wantagh Memorial Congregational Church for almost a decade, the Rev. Garner moved to Orient in December. To further promote RMM’s mission, he invited the Rev. Witt to lead a service on July 27 and give a presentation to other church leaders in the area. He said he was surprised to find that even in a predominantly agricultural area, there was not a great familiarity with Rural & Migrant Ministry. That day, he and the Rev. Witt began laying the groundwork for a Journey of Empathy.
“When we began planning this, we did not want it to seem like a partisan issue or political — what we wanted to say was, we have to have empathy for folks,” the Rev. Garner said. “We kind of want to be in the middle of the dialogue that’s going on. How do we treat undocumented workers? How do we treat people who work in our grocery stores and stock the shelves? How do we relate to them in a way that shows care and concern?”
Noemi Sanchez, regional coordinator of RMM’s Amandla Rural Worker Education Center, said the Riverhead site is always working to connect the immigrant population with necessary services and support, such as English language workshops, teaching parents how to navigate the school districts and educating workers on their rights.
“When you talk about the East End, a lot of people think it’s only rich people that live around here,” Ms. Sanchez said. “We want more empathy and humanity for the [immigrant] people, especially the workers, and how they contribute to this country. Sometimes [people] have the idea that undocumented immigrants don’t pay taxes, but it’s very important that the community knows even if they are undocumented, they still pay.”
Just a day after the Caravan of Empathy passed through the North Fork, five vehicles with personnel from several federal agencies, including ICE, were reportedly active in Greenport on Sunday morning, impacting at least three families. The Rev. Garner called the timing of the incident with the caravan “unbelievable.”
“The timing couldn’t be more advantageous to us getting the word out — that we’re not trying to become adversarial on this issue,” he said. “We just want people to look at, what Jesus called the least to our brothers and sisters, with empathy, and that’s the whole purpose.”
The Rev. Witt, who is currently driving through upstate New York with the rest of the caravan, spoke a few words outside the First Presbyterian Church in Southold on Saturday and thanked supporters for their positive energy, which he said will propel the caravan through their journey.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how powerful it was to drive around the corner and be greeted by folks,” he said in a livestreamed video. “As we travel up to the Hudson Valley, and we travel up to the Canadian border, and go along the St. Lawrence Seaway, and down into the Rochester area and eventually end up in Buffalo, we will be sharing your energy, your hope, with others, so they know that they are not alone.”
To follow along with Rural & Migrant Ministry’s Journey of Empathy Caravan, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages to view livestream videos and photos.
