Add your name to the online condolence card for the family of Maria Isabel, 17-year old heat victim.
Tell Maria’s mother, Jovita, that you care.

We told you about the tragic death of 17-year-old Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez who died due to heat stroke while laboring in a Stockton area vineyard.

Hundreds responded by donating to help fund the pilgrimage the UFW held in honor of Maria Isabel and the 10 other California farm workers who have died due to heat exhaustion over the past 4 years. Almost 3,000 supporters sent Maria’s family beautiful personal notes of condolence which we’ve shared with her grieving mother, Jovita, and the rest of her family.

To date no one from the companies involved has had the decency to express condolences to Maria's family--not the farm labor contractor, not the company who owns the field where Maria labored, nor the wine distributor. There have been no letters, no one showed up at the funeral--nothing. The only reaction they had was to try to shift part of the blame of Maria’s death onto her fiancé, Florentino.

We want to let Maria’s family know that people from all over North America care about this tragedy—that people from all walks of life and of all backgrounds recognize the value of Maria’s life and death. Tell the family that you share the sorrow of Maria’s death and pledge to do what you can, so other farm worker families do not have to endure the same agony.

It is very easy to participate.  We have put together a simple sign-on condolence letter that we will share with Jovita and the rest of Maria’s family. 

Sign the card by adding your name and the city and state where you live.

Thank you.