The Oceana Community Foundation, in partnership with Oceana County’s Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Migrant Outreach team, has launched the 6th Annual Migrant Child Task Force Donation Drive. This coordinated effort makes it easy for community members to support local migrant farmworker families by donating high‑need items identified and distributed directly by DHHS.
This year’s drive seeks new personal care and hygiene products, bulk cultural food items, baby and child necessities, school supplies, activity books for children and preteens, and other everyday essentials used during Task Force camp outreach events. Donations help ensure children and parents have reliable access to basic items throughout the agricultural season. Every contribution goes directly to a local migrant family, meeting immediate needs and supporting their health, safety, and well‑being while they live and work in Oceana County.
DHHS staff organizes Oceana’s farmworker outreach efforts to support migrant families facing resource insecurity. The Task Force estimates that around 42,700 children (ages 0 to 19) travel to Michigan each year as part of seasonal farmworker families. While these families play a vital role in sustaining Oceana’s agricultural economy, many young children and parents arrive with limited essentials and lack access to many basic items once they get here.
“Each year with the arrival of spring flowers and asparagus popping out of the ground, we begin to welcome migrant farmworkers who come to assist our local farmers cultivate and harvest the abundant crops. By sharing this annual wish list, we invite others to show their gratitude for all their hard work to bring food to our tables and beyond. Agriculture is an essential driver of our economy – this community driven effort invites everyone to invest in the well-being of farmworker families who are essential to West Michigan’s agricultural system,” Foundation CEO Tammy Carey shares.
Former DHHS staff member Dolores Peters shared how meaningful these donations can be for children. “The children’s eyes light up when they see the soccer balls. One young tween in particular stood out to me. What caught my attention is the net he had to play soccer. He was playing with a falling apart net and an old, trodden soccer ball. I was told he was very talented in school for soccer. When we gave him a new soccer ball, which is of very nice quality, he was beyond elated. It was touching and I’ll never forget that.”
The Foundation is assisting DHHS by collecting high need items such as toothbrushes, shampoo, diapers, soap, and children’s toys, ensuring families have essential supplies while also giving kids access to books, toys, and activities that let them simply enjoy being children. Donations also support women in the camps, who often receive few resources. As Peters noted, “Agriculture work is male dominated in migrant camps. When we come across a group of women and we provide them with hygiene products from this drive, they are so surprised and thankful.”
Community members can donate through an Amazon wish list (https://tinyurl.com/Task-Force-2026) shared on the Foundation’s social media channels and our website, with items shipped directly to the Foundation’s PO Box. Donations may also be dropped off at the Foundation’s office inside the Pentwater Shelby State Bank side entrance lobby at 388 S. Hancock Street. DHHS distributes items during camp site visits throughout the county or directly to clients from their Hart office. Donations will be accepted through June 15, 2026.
For any questions regarding the Oceana’s Migrant Child Task Force, contact Ricardo Solis of the Farmworker Outreach Services Division at [email protected] or Cindy Salgado, Migrant Program Specialist, at [email protected].