Blueberry Rakers? Center Opens in Washington County Bookmark and Share

August 3, 2009

Augusta- With the blueberry harvest underway, Maine Department of Labor staff are again partnering with other governmental and community service organizations to host the Rakers? Center in Washington County.

The facility provides migrant farm workers and their families with access to a variety of resources including:

  • legal and employment advice;
  • access to medical care;
  • information on educational resources for children of migrant workers; and
  • guidance in applying for General Assistance, Food Stamps, Social Security and Medicaid.

A food pantry is also located on site.

The Rakers? Center opens annually during the peak of the blueberry picking season to serve the nearly 8,000 migrant and seasonal farm workers who are employed in the blueberry harvest each year. It has been recognized nationwide as a model program because of the centralized services offered.

This year the Rakers? Center is located on the Epping Road in Columbia, next to Columbia Town Hall. For more information, workers are encouraged to call the Rakers? Center at 483-6587 or the Maine Department of Labor at 623-7900.