Here's how you can help farmworker families displaced from Half Moon Bay shootings

ByLena Howland KGO logo

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Here's how you can help families displaced by Half Moon Bay shootings

A Bay Area nonprofit is collecting donations for 40 farmworker families displaced from the Half Moon Bay mass shootings.

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- The Farmworker Caravan has put out an urgent call to action for donations, holding an emergency food and clothing drive for farmworkers impacted by Monday's shooting in Half Moon Bay on top of flooding from recent storms.

Their organization, partnered with ALAS, is hoping to collect enough non-perishable food and clothing, in one day, at the San Jose Women's Club in downtown San Jose for 40 families that have been displaced because of the shooting.

Two days after a shooter, believed to be a forklift driver at Mountain Mushroom Farms, went on a violent shooting spree at two separate farms in what officials are now calling a "workplace dispute," 40 farmworker families that were living on site of the farms, displaced, as their homes turned into a crime scene.

"They've been put in motels so they don't have access to food, their clothing, anything," Darlene Tenes, Founder of the Farmworker Caravan said.

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This comes within a matter of weeks after flooding also devastated the same area.

"The farmworkers, yes they feed the nation, but today we need to feed them," Tenes said.

Now, an urgent, emergency call to action for donations of non-perishable food, clothing, coats and socks for all 40 families.

"I sent out the email at around 5 o'clock (Tuesday) and I got all of this from my neighbors," Olivia Nunez, a Los Altos resident said.

Emotions running high for Nunez while dropping off a trunk-load full of supplies from her neighborhood in Los Altos.

"Because I was a farmworker myself and I can relate to what a lot of the farmworker community is going through over there and it just breaks my heart," she said. "I feel that there's a lot of fear, and I'm sure that there's a lot need, but I also feel like they may not reach out."

With a steady stream of donations coming in all morning on Wednesday, organizers plan to sort out and divide everything into 40 separate care packages to be delivered to the 40 displaced families in Half Moon Bay, by the end of the day.

"I feel like just a little bit, a little something that I can do, just helps," she said. "I hope it helps anyway."

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Organizers will be at the San Jose Women's Club collecting donations until 2 p.m. on Wednesday before delivering the 40 care packages.

If you would like to do something to help the community of Half Moon Bay following this tragedy, please consider donating to ALAS. ALAS stands for Ayudando Latinos a Sonar, which translates to helping Latinos dream. ALAS has been supporting the farmworker community for a long time and has established a Half Moon Bay Strong fund. They are grateful for monetary donations from across the Bay Area during this difficult time.

You are also urged to donate to the Farmworkers' GoFundMe page for more information/monetary donations.

Get the latest on the deadly Half Moon Bay shootings here.