Jul 22, 2022

Washington tree fruit group donates air purifiers for worker housing

The Washington State Tree Fruit Association (WSTFA) has donated air purifiers to be used in farm worker housing.

WSTFA delivered the units in recent weeks to the Catholic Charities of Central Washington and the Yakima Housing Authority, to be distributed to the housing units.

The association purchased the air purifiers through a $20,000 grant from the Yakima Valley Resilience and Response Fund. The grant is the result of a funding partnership with the United Way of Central Washington, the Latino Community Fund and the Yakima Valley Community Fund.

The air purifiers are Food and Drug Administration-approved to remove viruses, including the COVID-19-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus, from indoor air and provide farmworker housing operators with another tool to ensure safe housing for the agricultural workforce.

WSTFA is a nonprofit membership organization made up of growers and packers of apples, cherries, and pears. The organization’s focus is to add value to all segments of the tree fruit industry through educational programs and conferences, statistics to enable growers and packers to plan for market opportunities, and engagement in Washington State government affairs to help address market uncertainty.

—Washington State Tree Fruit Association

Photos at top: WSTFA President Jon DeVaney (left), delivers air purifiers to Catholic Charities of Central Washington, Sunnyside. Ranie Haas (second from right), association director of regulatory and industry affairs, and intern Natalie Newman (right), deliver purifiers to the Yakima Housing Authority, Granger. Photos: WSTFA