County grant to assist farmworkers

EL CENTRO – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $105,000 grant to Vo Neighborhood Medical Clinic.

The money will come from the county’s Agricultural Benefit Program and is intended to assist farmworkers in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vo Neighborhood Medical Clinic, operated by

Dr. Tien Vo, is the local administrator for the Housing for the Harvest program.

The program provides temporary hotel housing options for farm and food processing employees to self-isolate if they are COVID-19 positive and do not require hospitalization, or have been exposed and cannot properly self-isolate at home.

Through the program, the state of California secures hotel rooms in participating counties, with local governments identifying administrators to manage the program and local community organizations to provide additional services, like meals, wellness checks and in-language assistance.

Although the state is paying for the hotel rooms, the additional services provided through the program are unfunded, meaning they need to rely on other resources.

That’s where Tuesday’s grant award comes in. The grant will allow the clinic to work with local community-based operators and provide wraparound services.

Wraparound services include three meal deliveries a day, health and wellness checks, health evaluations and assessments, delivery of any prescribed and over-thecounter medications, medical transportation for health appointments, patient advocacy and case management and administration.

The funds will assist about 150 individuals who work in agriculture and either tested positive or were exposed to the coronavirus.

The average daily cost to provide the wraparound services to agricultural workers in the program is $50. Over a 14-day quarantine, that works out to $700 total.

The Vo Neighborhood Medical Clinic informed the county that additional funding is expected from other sponsors and grants.

Alex Cardenas, who serves on the Vo Neighborhood Medical Clinic board, said to date only four individuals have taken part in the program, and all of them have since recovered from COVID-19.

Besides the $105,000 grant, the Vo Neighborhood Medical Clinic has received an equity contribution of $65,000 and private grant funding in the amount of $36,000.

“This is a very good program to address the needs for essential workers,” he said.

Cardenas said the program will be active all year for agricultural workers.

Agricultural Commissioner Carlos Ortiz said he feels this is a good program for the agricultural community.

He said his board was given a lengthy presentation and their questions, like what farmers would be eligible and what would happen with money not spent were answered.