Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youth 18 years of age & younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Microgrant recipient Sebastian (17) from CA applied for one of 3 charity drives at his high school, Archbishop Mitty, and his application was accepted. With the help of members of the Mitty Advocacy Project and the Latinx Student Union, Sebastian was able to provide 450+ donations of the most basic necessities to farmer workers connected with the Center for Farmworker Families. Sebastian called his project Con Bonded which translates as With Kindness.

1. What inspired you to start this project? I was inspired by my personal connection to the issue of helping farmworkers. I grew up in a family of farmworkers, and I heard many stories from my grandfather about his experience working in the fields, in the hot sun, and engaging in back-breaking work. I also learned about my grandfather’s father and how he died from brain cancer. It is believed that this cancer was brought upon him from the use of pesticides in the fields. I was then inspired to help farmworker families by providing them with the necessary resources to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. While working on your project, what surprised you? I was surprised by the stories I heard from families who were receiving donations from the Center for Farmworker Families. I heard about how these families were struggling to acquire basic necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, and laundry and dish detergent. I was surprised by the number of farmworker families who lived in houses where social distancing and quarantining were unattainable. One story that stood out to me was the one about how these families had to line up in the morning to use the bathroom because there was only one bathroom in their household. This story was surprising and forced me to take a step back and realize how lucky I was to have at least two bathrooms in my house and for the rest of the people who watched the documentary.
3. What do you feel you learned from this experience? Throughout this experience, I learned how fortunate enough I am to live in a house and have a supportive family. I also learned the legislative action that needs to be taken to support and defend farmworker families from living in crowded areas or being granted labor rights.
4. How did Karma for Cara impact your project? With the help of Karma for Cara and my school, we were able to donate over 450 donations to the non-profit organization, Center for Farmworker Families. I am very thankful for the support of Karma for Cara because the money acquired could also be used to purchase more donations as well as write rental assistance checks for many farmworker families who are struggling with paying their rent on time. 
5. How will your project continue to impact others? This project will continue to impact others to raise awareness about the impact of farmworker families and the struggles they encounter. This will impact them in understanding the privilege many people in the United States have to be successful. 
6. How many hours did you spend on your project? 30
7. How many youth volunteers were involved in your project? 6
8. How many total hours did other youth volunteers spend on your project? 8