JPAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving migrant, seasonal, and immigrant communities across Northern Michigan through culturally and linguistically appropriate one to one direct support, education, and advocacy. Gladys and Wayne also began to build community awareness of immigrant and migrant-worker issues in Michigan and at the US/Mexico border. With increased publicity and financial s
upport from the community, JPAC was registered as a Michigan non-profit in 2006. JPAC has organized trips to the US/Mexico border, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Peru and within Michigan to immerse participants in migrant and immigration issues. JPAC is currently most active in providing emergency funds and community services to migrants, promoting Fair Trade products and organizations, providing Interpretation, Mental Health and Translation services, assisting to fill out forms, making phone calls, assisting to access public, community and medical services, visiting jails, arranging transportation to medical appointments and providing transportation and advocacy for appointments to Immigration offices and Mexican Consulate in Detroit. JPAC was accredited 501 (c)(3) status in December 2014 in order to broaden its outreach. Agriculture is one of the top three sectors of the economy of Michigan, along with the aut industry and tourism. A large percentage of the agricultural economy of Michigan is served by immigrant and migrant labor. For example, the immigrant/migrant population was a vital support to the $6.6 billion fruit and vegetable industry in Michigan in 2008. (National Agriculture Statistics Services, MI. Department of Agriculture, October 2009)
During the annual harvest, May through October, the farm laborer family population in Northern Michigan is estimated to be 13,000-15,000 people. (Migrant and Seasonal Farmwork Enumeration Profiles Study, MI Update, June 2013)
Approximately 85% of US farm workers speak Spanish, while only 10% of foreign-born farm workers speak or read English fluently. (US Department of Labor, National Agriculture Worker Survey - NAWS - May 2011)
They have an average of 6-7 years of formal education. Many can not read or write in any language. Most have the language skills needed to perform their jobs,, but are unable to express themselves in, sufficiently understand, or navigate the US medical system, legal system, immigration system and other essential sectors of US society. In addition, many immigrant/migrant workers do not drive or do not own a car. They often live in poverty. Their employment depends on the weather, crop success, and the vagaries of constantly changing immigration law and policies. In brief, the immigrant/migrant population in Northern Michigan faces an incredible array of obstacles to their human and civil rights and to their "dignity of life". JPAC exists to help overcome those obstacles and to help society recognize the human dignity of these persons whose hands literally feed us and the world. www.usccb.org
