Not-for-profit delivers hundreds of Thanksgiving meals to migrant workers in Windsor-Essex

About 25 volunteers are getting together on Sunday and Monday this holiday weekend to bring Thanksgiving to 500 migrant workers in the Windsor-Essex County area. 

"Migrant workers do play a very important role in our community. They are essential workers [and] they need to be recognized," said Joan Grey, the founder of the not-for-profit group Unity Hopeful, who organized the event.

Grey says that the organization has done a Mother's and Father's day dinner every year for migrant workers for the last 10 years.

But that wasn't possible this year — so they decided to bring thanksgiving dinner and gift packages directly to the workers on the farms instead.

Migrant workers have been particularly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly 1,200 of the 2,721 cases in the region have been reported to be among migrant workers. Three migrant workers died in Ontario because of the virus two of them were working on farms in Windsor-Essex County. 

"I think that this is important because considering what is going on with COVID-19 [and] the impact this has had on migrant workers and the community — it's a good idea to continue with some sense of normality by doing this every year by feeding and just giving back," said Herma Brown, the interim president of the Windsor West Indian Association.

She says normally her organization donates to the events but this is her first year volunteering, packing and then delivering 67 meals to workers in Leamington.

"It's an honour to give back to the community because everybody deserves a hot meal especially during Thanksgiving," Brown said.

Union kicks in

Unifor Canada gave $5,000 to sponsor the 500 meals being delivered to workers.

"There's a concept that unionized workers and unions only fight for unionized workers, we fight for all workers and people that are seeking employment," said Christine Maclin, human rights director for Unifor Canada, who was onsite to help out on Sunday.

She said seeing that Thanksgiving is a harvest holiday, it's also important to show thanks to those that are harvesting the food on our tables.

"Those people are hardworking people that are totally being exploited and neglected by their employers and by the governments," she said. "We have been advocating on status for all, status for now because we recognize that policy changes need to be in place and it's 54 years too long."