Thursday, May 20th, "Fast for Farmworker Justice" in solidarity with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Taco Bell Boycott:

* Fran Stier, Pennsylvania, "I am a 72 year old woman. I am a Sister of Mercy. Several years ago I had the privilege of meeting several of the Immokalee farmworkers and learning the truth about their situtation... I will most assuredly fast with you all day on May 20, taking only water for 24 hours."

* Cheri Honkala, New York, Director of the national Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign, will be fasting on the 20th and will speak of the CIW protest in the course of the PPEHRC's vigil and press conference that day in New York City (leading up to the PPEHRC's protests at the RNC in August).

* Terri Seitz, Florida, "Though I am not able to join you in Louisville, I will be there in spiritual protest and prayer. In solidarity, I, too, will pledge to fast May 20 on this National Day of Fasting for Farmworker Justice! I remember the words of Oscar Romero, 'My position obliges me to solidarity with everyone who suffers and to embody in myself every effort for human dignity."

Terri will also be joined by 5 kids from her church's youth group who will be wearing CIW t-shirts and gathering in the morning at their school to pray and fast: Liz Tremblay, Erica Nicsinger, Mary Delcamp, Mason Marks, and LIz Gerding.

The CIW hopes you, too, can join us in this day-long fast on Thursday, May 20th, as workers from Immokalee will be heading to Louisville to take the call for "not just fast, but FAIR, food" to the shareholders of Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell and the largest restaurant company in the world (larger than McDonald's!).

The workers will be holding a day-long fast outside the shareholders meeting in an echo of the national student hunger strike that swept college campuses last month. They will be joined by allies from across the country who will be fasting in solidarity with the Immokalee Workers.

If you are able to fast on the 20th in solidarity with the CIW action, please let us know and we'll add your name (and a brief message of solidarity, if you'd like!) to the roll call of fasters to be read at the press conference following the Yum shareholders meeting in Louisvilee.

Email us at workers@ciw-online.org and let us know if you, too, will be part of this national day of action for an end to sweatshops in America's fields! And for an excellent analysis of the significance and uses of fasting penned by The Rev. Noelle Damico, Coordinator of the Taco Bell Boycott with the Presbyterian Church (USA), check out the ciw website at www.ciw-online.org .

Thanks, Coalition of Immokalee Workers