In August 1967, more than 8,000 migrant workers arrived in the Yakima Valley before crops were ready to harvest. Poor harvests in neighboring states had pushed them to the Yakima Valley early to look for work. Unfortunately, no work was available when they arrived and thousands of migrants were forced to wait for the apple harvest in September. Most could not afford to leave – they faced hunger and many had to sleep in camps with limited facilities, in their cars, or on the ground.

Church groups in Seattle collected food, clothing, and toiletries for donation to the unemployed workers. This image shows (from left) Laura Simon, Mrs. Richard Jacobson (kneeling), and Perry Koch sorting through supplies that had been collected by the Washington-North Idaho Council of Churches at 1823 Terry Avenue.

Caption information source: "Seattle food for migrants," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Augusts 22, 1967, page 5.
Caption information source: “8,000 hungry migrants waiting for harvest,” by Ann Faber, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 20, 1967, page 3.