Migrant farm workers are using the Gospel Mission害羞草研究所檚 services, says the executive director of the shelter.
害羞草研究所淲hat we see is people coming through with fruit picking (jobs) for the agricultural (sector) and historically what we害羞草研究所檝e gotten is people from Quebec and (more) recently people from South America, Mexico and that area,害羞草研究所� said Randy Benson, executive director of the homeless shelter. The workers use the shelter during the summer months, as they work around the Okanagan Valley,害羞草研究所� he said.
害羞草研究所淎nd some of those people don害羞草研究所檛 necessarily stay at the shelter but they use the food service for that sort of thing,害羞草研究所� he added.
The summertime typically sees the highest number of transient people visiting the homeless shelter, he said, but the farm workers often camp out, so they typically don害羞草研究所檛 use the shelter害羞草研究所檚 beds.
RELATED: Okanagan migrant justice collective fights for temporary foreign worker
Currently the shelter is operating at capacity, with 76 beds for men and 14 for women.
President of the B.C. Fruit Growers Association Bhupinder Dhaliwal was perplexed when he was asked why temporary farm workers are using the shelter害羞草研究所檚 resources.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 the first I害羞草研究所檝e heard about, I害羞草研究所檓 not sure why they would go there to use food services. They害羞草研究所檙e hired with a contract, they make an income,害羞草研究所� he said.
He was skeptical about the idea, saying they could be tourists.
害羞草研究所�(Farm workers) usually don害羞草研究所檛 travel害羞草研究所� they害羞草研究所檙e usually contracted with certain farms. There害羞草研究所檚 a lot of youth that come out from Quebec and they do help with the harvesting,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淎 late season may mean that workers might visit the shelter to get by for a few days, but 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not sure why they would be there.害羞草研究所�
Dhaliwal said there害羞草研究所檚 no food allowances in contracts, but temporary farm workers make around $13 an hour and work roughly 10-hour days.
He said he would look into the issue.
carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
Like us on and follow us on .
