Santa Maria farmworkers receive prepaid cards for food during pandemic

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Farmworkers in Santa Maria received some help from the United Farm Workers Foundation (UFW) to buy groceries on Friday. The UFW provides resources for immigrants and farmworkers.

The foundation handed out $25 prepaid cards for farmworkers.

The event started at 3 p.m. at the corner of Miller and E. Orange streets. Within an hour, hundreds of people showed up.

Robert Perez, Emergency Relief Coordinator for UFW, said the UFW started this initiative to help with shortfalls in federal and state aide.

"The farmworker community and even the immigrant community didn't receive any federal assistance from the federal government," Perez said. "It's just a small token, it's say food or twenty five dollars, but the farmworker community deserves much more."

UFW has given out nearly 3,000 prepaid cards to those in need around California.