Album: Puente de la Costa Sur brings the harvest home in Pescadero

Cheri Parr

Click on the photo to see our album from the event.

Thanksgiving celebrates the end of the harvest, but often, those who put the food on our tables, can't celebrate due to lack of time and money. These are the workers cared for by Reverend Wendy Taylor and the staff and volunteers of Puente de la Coasta Sur. This year, it is through their efforts that the migrant workers in Pescadero got a taste of Thanksgiving.

The work started early afternoon on Thanksgiving day as Reverand Taylor, George Aranda, and crew of volunteers headed out to the farms and ranches to pick up workers for a ride to Native Sons Hall. By 5pm more than 25 migrant farm workers were greeted warmly by the staff of Puente, NorthStreet, Belmont's United Church of Christ, and Coastside Hope. The tables were heavy with traditional Thanksgiving turkeys, and a taste of home -- fresh tamales with rice and beans. The men played board games, listened to music, and participated in a raffle for coats, backpacks and boots. Tables at the entrance contained food, paper supplies, warm blankets and shirts for all.

More than eight years ago, Rev. Wendy Taylor started the Puente Ministry, an organization devoted to helping Latino men in the agriculture industry.

The organization's full title is "Puente de la Costa Sur", or bridge of the South Coast, and many coastsiders see Reverend Taylor as that bridge. Started at Pescadero Community Church, Puente has grown to be an independent, faith-based non-profit serving agricultural workers; mostly men alone with families back in Mexico. "Bikes, Beans and Blankets" and a healthy dose of support, are distributed to ease the adjustment to life in this country.

When we eat our Thanksgiving meals, we eat the fruits and vegetables that have been harvested right here in our county. However, how many people give thanks to the people who toil in the sun working hard to feed our nation? How many people give thanks to the migrant farm worker? Thanks to Puente, a handful of these workers were fed, and more importantly, thanked.