Today, with incredibly heavy hearts, we mark the passing of Patrick Kaufman, a passionate, unwavering voice for justice and leader of the Fair Food Nation in Columbus, Ohio. As the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, we can only do our best to embrace, support, and love those who are grieving Patrick with the same grace and tirelessness that Patrick embraced, supported, and loved farmworkers from Immokalee and their families as they struggled for a dignified life.
Even as we share in a moment that is inevitably, and sometimes unbearably, difficult, we must also lift up and celebrate the many gifts that Patrick gave us. Patrick was a tremendous father and husband, and an irreplaceable member of his local community. Since 2016, Patrick has been a central figure in the Ohio Fair Food community, opening his church to CIW members, encouraging his brilliant children – themselves budding human rights leaders – to join delegations to Wendy’s managers, educating fellow Methodist Theological School in Ohio students about the fight for Fair Food, and supporting the movement for human rights and farm labor justice in a thousand other moments too many to count.
We want to share our gratitude, and help the beautiful life he lived while with us to continue to reverberate and inspire others even after he is gone, by sharing a few moments and words of inspiration that he left with our community of Immokalee.
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