NC FIELD

North Carolina Focus on Increasing Education Leadership and Dignity

Media Release

Press Release: NC FIELD APPOINTS FORMER CHILD FARM WORKER AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Yesenia Cuello, NC FIELD Executive Director 2019

The NC FIELD board of directors has announced the appointment of Yesenia Cuello as the Executive Director at NC FIELD, Inc., an organization that focuses on increasing education, leadership and dignity of children in the agricultural worker community in Lenoir and surrounding counties.

Yesenia succeeds Yessy Bustos, a former Student Action with Farmworkers intern, and Executive Director from 2015 until 2018. Yesenia’s journey began as a child tobacco worker at age fourteen. Later she joined Poder Juvenil Campesino, NC FIELD’s advocacy youth group. During Yesenia’s tenure as a youth president, popular educator, board member, and program manager the organization has maintained a 89% high school graduation rate and a 47% college attendance rate.

Yesenia is a professional organizer and activist with a proven track record of impacting federal legislation to protect child tobacco workers; has successfully designed and implemented a youth engagement framework for child agricultural workers, and is familiar with grant outcomes and foundations supporting this
work.

NC FIELD, Inc. made the decision to hire Yesenia to lead its capacity-building projects in agricultural worker health and safety; high school graduation and college attendance; and the formation of a museum of agricultural worker history.

Yesenia is an accomplished speaker and has been interviewed regularly by national media. She has also assisted with research projects involving child safety and agricultural worker health.

Please welcome us in congratulating Yesenia Cuello on her appointment as Executive Director. NC FIELD is elated to be under the leadership of such a dynamic and impressive director!

PJC Youth Cook Alongside a Professional Chef…

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GREENVILLE, NC – North Carolina Focused on Increasing Education, Leadership, and Dignity, NC FIELD, organized a culinary workshop for Poder Juvenil Campesino (PJC) farmworker youth at CPW’s Fine Foods & Spirits on Sunday, June 24, 2018.  PJC farmworker youth from various towns in eastern North Carolina, such as Kinston, Pink Hill, Snow Hill, and Beulaville participated in this workshop. In a safe and relaxed environment, farmworker youth learned about techniques and basic cooking methods used to prepare dishes by Head Chef Eric Beamon.

Alongside Chef Eric, PJC youth had a unique privileged to step inside a restaurant kitchen to prepare a dish. PJC youth were educated on proper food safety, basic pre-preparation techniques, and cooking methods. Chef Eric also voiced to PJC youth about career opportunities in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

NC FIELD believes that education is a window to get out of poverty. However, for many farmworker youths who live in rural areas, they often do not have role models or resources to support them to continue their education and to seek alternative careers outside the dangers of manual labor.

As youth sat around the table, enjoying their prepared dish, they learned about Chef Eric’s career journey.  PJC Youth were able to connect to the risks and challenges he’s overcome in order to pursue his passion for culinary. It was an amazing and educational opportunity for PJC youth to learn that through hard work, commitment, and passion one can achieve their goals. Chef Eric is currently the head chef at CPWs where he has worked at for a few years.

It was a scintillating workshop with lots of fun and learning. PJC youth seemed happy after attending the workshop and looking into planning another one! Such workshops for youth are a great way for youth to learn new skills and network with potential role models.

 

PJC Youth Learn about Grassroots Fundraising!

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On February 18th PJC youth welcomed special guest Fawn!! As a nonprofit consultant and longtime supporter of NC FIELD, Fawn shared her expertise with PJC youth on grassroots fundraising.

Youth learned about the ABC’s of Fundraising

Access – people you already know or have a solid connection with

Belief –  people who share similar interests or believe in the mission of the organization

Capacity – people with the ability to give.

 

Youth also worked on their personal statement with support from Fawn and NC FIELD staff. Through this statement they drafted their delivery speech in asking for donations.

This month’s workshop focused on careers in the nonprofit sector. Youth learned about where funding for nonprofit organizations comes from and how funds are used. Youth will continue this work as they prepare for their first annual PJC Youth fundraiser so stay up to date with us!!

Empowering Farmworkers & Supporting Honeybees!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KINSTON, NC – North Carolina Focus on Increasing Education, Leadership & Dignity (NC FIELD) based in Kinston, NC will host a summer project in 2018 focusing on empowering and educating farmworkers, while providing safe economic and educational opportunities for farmworker youth.

 

“Farmworkers touch our lives everyday through picking the fruit and vegetables that end up on our plates at every meal,” Yessy Bustos, Executive Director. “Ironically, many farmworkers suffer from malnutrition and food scarcity due to poor wages, lack of work, transportation difficulties and rural isolation.”

 

Through this project, migrant and seasonal farmworkers will have increased access to healthy fruits and vegetables by growing their own organic, pollinator-friendly garden. Farmworker youth will conduct outreach to local farmworker camps and dwellings to teach farmworkers and their families about organic gardening. Farmworkers will also learn about the importance of supporting honeybee health and how growing pollinator-friendly crops can support both their and their families’ health, as well as the health of honeybees.

 

This summer project is being funded by The Burt’s Bees Greater Good Foundation of Durham, North Carolina.

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About NC FIELD

North Carolina Focus on Increasing Education, Leadership & Dignity, or NC FIELD is a nonprofit organization formed in 2009 that works with migrant and seasonal farmworker youth and families utilizing grassroots organizing principles to teach leadership, promote education and facilitate opportunities.

NC FIELD’s mission is to forge relationships that fill service gaps in the farmworker community, while increasing awareness of the plight of the farmworker. For more information, visit www.ncfield.org

About The Burt’s Bees Greater Good Foundation

In 2007, we established The Burt’s Bees Greater Good Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining charitable, grassroots initiatives that support human and honeybee health. Read more at http://www.burtsbees.com

NC FIELD Stands with DREAMers

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Kinston, NC – NC FIELD Executive Director, Yessy Bustos, has issued the following statement on the announcement from the Trump Administration regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program:

 

“Dear NC FIELD Family and Supporters,

On September 5, 2017 it was announced that the Department of Homeland Security rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and will stop processing any new applications for the program. To all the farmworker youth we work with who are impacted by this decision – and to their friends and families who are also concerned because of this decision – know that NC FIELD stands by you. NC FIELD works hard with migrant and seasonal farmworkers to create a safe and welcome space where one can learn and succeed in life. NC FIELD does not condone nor support any action that demonstrates intolerance, bigotry, or that promotes discrimination. We remain committed to celebrating and embracing our diversity, as that diversity makes us stronger.

Since 2012, DACA has allowed undocumented immigrants who arrived in the US as children, including some of our PJC Youth, to receive temporary work authorization and protection from deportation. It is important that we acknowledge that DACA youth and young adults are not just a statistic, but represent more than 800,000 individuals striving to live and work and prosper in the only home many of them have ever known.  We stand in solidarity with DACA youth and their families who have been left unprotected from deportation and fear for their futures in the United States, their home.

Lastly, NC FIELD asks that you continue to ask your elected representatives to act – to act with compassion, fairness, and justice.

 

As always, thank you for your support for NC FIELD and its community,

 

Yessy Bustos

Executive Director

yessybustos@ncfield.org