Lief Labs, a formulator and manufacturer of dietary supplements, recently announced that the company’s philanthropic arm, the Lief Cares Donation Program, donated 2,500 bottles of specially formulated vitamin C blend nutritional supplements, which will be distributed over the next six weeks by the nonprofit Feeding our Farmworkers to hundreds of Southern California-based field workers in highly impoverished areas as a show of support for this workforce during the Coronavirus pandemic. The Lief Cares supplement donation was presented at a special event hosted by a group of local community organizations at McGrath Family Farms in Camarillo, California on Aug. 28.
 
“We want to show unity and that we realize that there was a group that was putting food on our table. There was a group that was initially forgotten by many of us and when it was brought to our attention, we realized that we could also be supportive,” Adel Villalobos, CEO and founder of Lief, said. “So that they’re not left behind with nutritional support and that they have what they need to be able to stay healthy and well.”
 
“It’s been extremely rewarding for me as a product developer to have been a part of this project and to know that I’m able to do my part in our community and our essential workers’ community of farmers by serving those who truly serve us every single day,” Meg Ligot, product development manager at Lief Labs, said.
 
According to the Farm Bureau, there are approximately 40,000 field workers in Ventura County alone. Over 500 of those field workers have tested positive for COVID-19, attesting to the fact that essential workers face a significant challenge to their health during this pandemic.
 
“It is clear that farm workers were already dealing with major challenges such as health disparities, overcrowded housing, and income that does not equal a livable wage, before COVID-19 and the wildfires throughout California,” Arnold Torres from Clinical del Camino Real added. “Donations are vital and greatly appreciated.”
 
At the event, representatives from Lief Labs, and the community organizations involved, spoke at the event regarding the critical work of the community’s field workers, as well as the benefits of nutritional supplements.
 
“Feeding our Farmworkers is grateful to Lief Labs for contributing to the health of our farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rick Castaniero, founding member of Feeding the Front Line, said. “They are essential workers that work nonstop to feed California and the rest of the world. Keeping these essential workers healthy is more important than ever before.”