Oregon Human Development Corporation

Oregon Human Development Corporation - ​Promoting economic advancement and self-sufficiency of farmworkers and underserved communities.

Key Messages

Who we serve:

OHDC primarily helps farmworkers and their children. Farmworkers are among the poorest workers in Oregon. They often work in unsafe conditions, exposed to pesticides and extreme heat, sometimes without adequate clean drinking water. At times, they have no other option but to bring their children to the fields, risking their safety, health, and education, to make sure the rest of us have food.

Farm work is hard work. Farmworkers are the backbone of our food supply. Two million farm workers labor in fields and ranches in the United States, planting, spraying, and handpicking the vast majority of our fruit and vegetable crops. They care for the cows that give us milk, cheese, butter, and meat.

And yet, they often struggle to feed their own families. Advancement and growth are rare, unless they can learn new skills and gain access to new opportunities.

What we do:

At all local offices, we help farmworkers

·       improve their English,

·       prepare for a GED (General Equivalency Diploma),

·       enroll in on the job training,

·       learn from mentors and coaches, and

·       build confidence to apply for and be placed in higher paying jobs.

At some local offices, we also work with youth to

·       complete high school or earn a GED,

·       prepare for college success,

·       successfully complete their first and second year of college, and

·       prepare for better employment.

We also help families with emergencies that could lead to homelessness, by providing limited rent and utility assistance. These families often become clients for job skills.