Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County, Inc.

The Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County, Inc. was founded in 1978 after a sudden freeze that left farmworkers without work. From its humble beginnings in a borrowed warehouse, the FWCC has grown into a diverse social services agency that addresses the continuing barriers to basic needs faced by low-income families that include farmworkers and other people in need in Palm Beach County. Although the agency's focus had always been providing services to migrant/seasonal farmworkers, we started receiving a high number of individuals (non-farmworkers) who needed assistance because they were at risk of becoming homeless or were suffering from hunger. These individuals/families were not able to receive services from other agencies in the County due to language, cultural or social barriers. The agency now provides a variety of social services with a staff of 15 professionals. 

We currently have four key programs:                          

1. The Family Preservation & Economic Stabilization Program provides case management to families with the goal of providing structured services that will lead to stability, self-sufficiency, and better outcome to farmworkers and their families.                                                                            
2. The CHAT Program (Community Health Access Teams) is designed to assist uninsured farmworker families gain access to local health services, while overcoming the barriers that prevent them from living a healthy life.            
3. The Education Programs focuses on providing quality education to farmworker  families with the purpose of building self-sufficiency and improving their quality of  life.  This program includes afterschool program, education for adults (ESOL, computer, and literacy), etc.   
4. The PIN Program (People In Need) focuses on helping non-farmworker individuals and families that do not qualify for our other programs but have unmet needs.                    

The services include case management, rental/utility assistance, distribution of food, toiletries, diapers, clothing & household Items, support groups, education, scholarships, referrals, transportation, assistance with the application for Medicaid/Food Stamps, financial literacy, translation & interpretation, etc. The services are provided from our two offices located in Belle Glade and Lake Worth. The agency provides services to over 800 families every month. Last year we provided food to over 3,200 unduplicated households. In addition, 185 unduplicated households received emergency rental/utility assistance with a total of $172,318.72. These programs have become a safety net for low-income families and farmworkers that are a paycheck away from becoming homeless or suffering from hunger. These programs are essential to continue helping families meet their basic needs.

The mission of the Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County, Inc. (FWCC) is to promote self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life of migrant/seasonal farmworkers and other people in need through education, advocacy, and access to services.