With an average annual income of $12,000, many migrant families struggle to secure basic human needs. Food, shelter and clothing are easily threatened for migrant workers and their families, because these necessities are directly tied to their constantly shifting jobs and multiple employers.

Even though Michigan’s economy heavily relies on available, skilled and inexpensive migrant labor, life for migrant workers remains onerous. Oftentimes, migrant families live in unsafe houses, workers labor for 15 hours each day with limited access to bathrooms and fresh water. Language barriers complicate daily tasks; farming communities are inherently isolating, and transitory employment limits stability.