Sign up for our free newsletter:

Ralph and Cheryl Broetje own a 4,000-acre apple orchard, with 50 acres of cherries in the middle, near Walla Walla, Washington. As their business has grown over the past 30 years, so has their love and concern for their workers.

In 1987, they built a packing plant on their property and hired 115 Hispanic women, many related to men working in the orchard. Soon after the plant opened, the Broetjes heard about serious problems among the workers—child abuse and neglect, pitiful living conditions, poor health care and education.

Many families were commuting to work, leaving their children alone for hours due to lack of child care. So the Broetjes built a daycare center, but they knew it wasn't enough.

They approached government agencies about worker housing. "We couldn't connect with anybody at that time, so we decided to take matters into our own hands and build a community (on our farm)," Cheryl says. "It just seemed the right thing to do."

In 1992, the Broetjes, who worship at Cathedral of Joy, spent their $5.5 million savings on a 100-home community, with a gymnasium/chapel, and a convenience store. The Vista Hermosa community is now home to 560 people, primarily families of year-round orchard workers from Mexico.

Vista Hermosa, "beautiful view" in Spanish, offers an elementary school, parenting and ESL classes, and other services. The community's housing committee screens applications for new residents, based on workers' commitment to their job and family. There's always a waiting list for the safe, affordable housing.

Cheryl admits this makes their business "an odd duck." But several hundred workers are grateful the Broetjes don't mind being a little different.

	What did you think of this story?
	Please to give us your feedback.

Home  |  People of Faith  |  Stories of Hope  |  Today's Culture
Build Your Faith  |  Laughing Matters  |  Archives  |  Contact Us

				Try Today's Christian Woman Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian Woman coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Today's Christian Woman as a gift Order a gift subscription!

FREE Newsletter Subscribe to the Today's Christian Newsletter    RSS Feed   RSS Help