About Us
History
Originally opened in 1950 as a pilot project, the facility was known as the "Migrant Information Station." The primary objective of this project was to assist migrant workers with locating employment by providing current information pertaining to state crop harvest periods. The Second objective was to access each families' basic needs and determine difficulties faced by workers while in transit to and from their work destinations.
In it's first year of operations, the Migrant Information Station administered services to over 15,000 workers during a six-month season. This project was located in Mandeville, Arkansas and remained in operation until 1955, while assisting over 82,000 workers in it's five year history.
Statistical information gathered by this project established a great need for these workers, and in 1957, with the assistance of the City of Hope, the Arkansas Employment Security Division located a permanent site in Hope, Arkansas. This facility was the beginning of what is now known as the as the Migrant Farm Labor Center. During the Centers' 49 years of service at the Hwy 67 location, over 1,386,837 workers and their families were served.
During 1996, construction began in Hope, Arkansas on the first Migrant One-Stop of its kind in the United States. With the main grant for construction provided by Farmers Home Administration, the completion of this facility brought together local organizations interested in working to improve the lives of migrant seasonal farmworkers. Operated by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, the Hope Migrant Complex offers the traveling agricultural workers opportunities for housing and workforce development services, while education and training services, emergency assistance and medical treatment is provided through our co-located partners (see our list of partners).
Vision
The vision of the Hope Migrant Complex is to provide quality migrant related services by being a dynamic group of organizations that takes pride in exceeding the expectations of our customers.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Hope Migrant Complex is to provide migrants and their families with related services that enhance the economic stability of that workforce, while also offering those services in the courteous, effective and efficient manner that our customers deserve.
