For the third year in a row, members of the Cariboo Latino community hosted an appreciation potluck for temporary foreign ranch workers, their bosses and newcomers.
Ana Rawlek of Williams Lake and David Cazares, with Kamloops Immigration Services, organized the party, which was held Saturday afternoon, Aug. 31, at Cariboo Community Church on Oliver Street in Williams Lake.
There was traditional Mexican food, such a potatoes with chorizo, beans with cheese, Mexican rice, chicken tinga, chipotle meat balls and chips and salsa.
Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson arrived with several boxes of pizza and Williams Lake street nurse Donna Mackenzie brought a three-milk cake she had made, which was just as popular as the pizza.
Antonio Castro Arellano, one of the ranch hands sang karaoke, with some help from Maria Jackson and Rawlek.
Rawlek said she was grateful to everyone involved with this year's event.
"It is amazing to see the support that the temporary workers and the Latino community have received this year," she said. "In my opinion life becomes easier for them and the sense of belonging is starting to flourish."
She said new friendships have been formed and she hears often that people are treating each other as family.
"It is important to celebrate and acknowledge these workers," she added. "September is a very festive month in Mexico and also is the time of the year that the workers start getting home sick and it is hard for them to be without their families. This celebration is the start of counting backwards, it means that they will be home soon."
Cazares said the appreciation potluck helps integrate the workers and newcomers into the community and creates awareness about their presence and the work they do for the region and for economic growth of Canada.
Through the Temporary Foreign Workers Outreach program of Kamloops Immigrant Services, there are around 25 workers working at five ranchers in the area, Cazares confirmed.
"However, we know that there are more workers arriving for different industries like construction, care aid and food processing so we will continue to look for them," he said. " We ask for the community support to be able to locate them so they can refer them to local organizations and with the collaboration we have with them we can provide together better options for their needs."
The temporary workers from the ranches are mostly from Mexico, he said, noting there could be workers from other parts of the world as each season can be different.
"This is the reason Kamloops Immigrant Services is always on the road to be in contact with them and to provide them with the information that might be useful to them," he added.
With this being the third year for the potluck, Cazares said he is noticing with each year more members of the community know and support the foreign workers.
"They are now an important part of their lives and some of the workers mentioned to me that Williams Lake community has made them feel like home for them."
He thanked the volunteers and families that shared their time and food to make the event successful and said Rawlek has always been supportive.
"Ana is caring for the well being of the workers and the community," he added.
After the meal there was a pinata, enjoyed by people of all ages. With the exception of the younger children, anyone trying to hit the pinata was expected to do so blindfolded.
Everyone laughed as they watched the blindfolded person attempt to hit the target.
Finally it burst open, thanks to the efforts of local school teacher Matthew Hilbert, and the children scrambled to gather up all the candy spilled onto the floor.
Many also enjoyed playing Loteria, a Mexican game similar to Bingo.
