NAPA, CA (August 2, 2023) – On July 16, Día de la Familia, the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation’s (FWF) annual street festival, was hosted in downtown Napa. The FWF’s mission is to support and promote Napa Valley’s vineyard workers through education and professional development, and Día de la Familia supports this by connecting farmworker families with the incredible array of free, Napa County-based resources that can greatly improve the quality of life, or even be life-changing, for many. This year’s event hosted over 50 community organizations, free health screenings, family activities, cultural dance performances, and a taco lunch.
One of the day’s highlights was a full-sized tractor display by Atlas Vineyard Management, this year’s event sponsor. The tractor was a visual spectacle, a photo opportunity for families, and a “wow” moment for children. Francisco Araujo, Director of Quality Control and Technical Winegrowing Operations for Atlas Vineyard Management said, “We hope the tractor sparks conversation between parents and children about their work in the vineyard – what are their duties in the vineyard? What does a tractor do? Farmworkers are critical to agriculture, and we hope to educate the younger generation about their important work.” Araujo has been a long-time supporter of the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and participates on the FWF Education Committee. He went on to say, “Día de la Familia is the best event of the year, and an excellent way to catch-up with employees and their families ahead of harvest.”
Students from the Patrick Foley Fields of Opportunity Summer Mentor Program made event setup easier this year. The 8-week Program helps students gain valuable career skills and insights into the opportunities available through the Napa Valley wine industry. At Día de la Familia, their responsibilities were hanging signs, setting up booths, helping community members, and more. “Rather than a summer of leisure, students are learning how to advance in their careers and are seeing new opportunities in the local industry,” said Leidy Tovar, Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation workforce development coordinator, “The Fields of Opportunity Summer Mentor Program has helped these students grow and mature, and I’m excited to see them apply their newly gained skills at Día de la Familia.”
Participating community organizations connected attendees with many free resources and support. The festival also included mariachi, ballet folklórico, traditional Aztec dance, children’s activities, opportunities to learn about the important work done in the vineyard, and of course, great food.
OLE Health returned this year, as well, with its providers and staff offering complimentary health screenings, dental education, and enrollment assistance to 60 community members. The screenings included blood pressure and BMI assessment, and individuals were connected to follow-up appointments with an OLE Health provider at one of its health centers. Their service is another fitting example of the many resources accessible during Día de la Familia.
Community organizations that participated in the 11th Annual Día de la Familia included:
- Alzheimer Disease Research Center
- Botanical Bus
- Burbank Housing
- California Highway Patrol
- California Human Development
- CareerPoint Napa
- Catholic Charities of Santa Rosa
- Child Start
- Community Health Initiative
- Connolly Ranch Education Center
- Cope Family Center
- County of Napa – Housing & Homeless Services
- County of Napa Health & Human Services, Alcohol & Drug Services
- Friends of Napa County Animal Shelter
- Girls on the Run North Bay
- HHSA ADS
- IIBA
- Innovations Community Center/Napa County Recovery Center
- Líderes Campesinas
- Mentis
- Napa County – Self Sufficiency Services
- Napa County HHSA, CSOA
- Napa County HHSA, Mental Health Division
- Napa County Hispanic Network
- Napa County Library
- Napa County Office of Education
- Napa County Public Health
- Napa Resource Conservation District
- Napa Valley College – Student Affairs
- Napa Valley Community Housing
- Napa Valley Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD)
- Napa Valley Education Foundation
- Napa Valley Unified School District – Migrant Ed
- NEWS
- North Bay Regional Center
- Providence Adult Day Health Napa Valley
- Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center Community Outreach
- Puertas Abiertas Community Resource Center
- Redwood Credit Union
- Share the Care Napa Valley
- Soluna Outreach Solutions on behalf of Napa County Oil, Napa Sanitation, Napa Storm Water Pollution Prevention.
- The Neighborhood Initiative – OTM
- The Roots Fund
- UC Davis Dept of Viticulture & Enology
- UC Napa County Master Gardeners
- UpValley Family Centers
- VOICES Napa Youth Center
- Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety
Many thanks to the following partners who helped bring this year’s festival to life: Atlas Vineyard Management, Bright Event Rentals, H&E Equipment Supply, The Lux Productions, OLE Health, Puertas Aberitas, Silverado Farming Company, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Walsh Vineyards Management, Green Mary, Suzanne Becker Bronk Photography, El Muchacho Alegre, and KVON Mega Mix.
About Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation
Founded by the Napa Valley Grapegrowers in 2011, the mission of the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation is to support and promote Napa Valley’s vineyard workers through education and professional development. The Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation is the first organization of its kind in the U.S., providing educational opportunities, advanced training programs, leadership and management classes, English literacy programs, and much more. To date, the Farmworker Foundation has offered education and professional development opportunities to more than 23,000 vineyard workers and their families.
For more information, visit our website and follow the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.
