CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIF., OCTOBER 7, 2021 … The Contra Costa County Measure X Community Advisory Board (CAB) voted last evening to accept a report listing first-year recommended funding priorities for submission to the Board of Supervisors. The list contains five goal areas supported by 43 strategies, many of which are aligned with Rubicon’s comprehensive programs.

Community-based services—including those that Rubicon provides such as mental health support, training and employment, and reentry support—are prioritized strategies in all of the goal areas highlighted in the report. The strategies were each rated as a top priority by at least 51% of voting board members at the September 8, 2021 meeting.

Michelle Stewart, District 5 CAB member and the Antioch Site Manager for Rubicon Programs, says the decisions on how to prioritize the funding recommendations were challenging. “It was really tough, because we had a bumper crop of presentations from numerous people, and it’s very difficult to make these kinds of decisions because everything is important,” Stewart said. “Do you prioritize seniors over children? Do you prioritize a lab for the regional hospital over mental health services? Do you prioritize housing over transportation? It’s all important, and it makes a difference in the quality of life for people and their ability to survive.”

In order to ensure that the CAB heard a sufficient variety of voices in the discussions, a total of 94 subject matter experts, including five from Rubicon, presented on a variety of community needs, issues, and topics during CAB meetings that were held over four months. Members of the public also gave their input by writing in and attending meetings, with some community members appearing at the virtual meetings nearly every week.

Although public attendance at the meetings grew over time, Stewart thinks there are more residents to hear. “We did get a lot of public comments, but we could get a lot more,” Stewart said. “I would have liked to have seen more residents participate and make comments about what is needed in their communities, in their neighborhoods, and what are their concerns.”

The recommendations in the report are not tied to specific dollar amounts. Instead, the CAB assigned rankings to each strategy to help the Board of Supervisors understand the priority levels to determine funding allocations. The rankings are based on the relative popularity of each strategy based on the September 8 vote, with community-based mental health services, establishing a County Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice, expanded comprehensive healthcare for the uninsured, and tenant legal services among the top ten.

Stewart cautions residents not to get discouraged if they don’t see their priorities at the top of the list. “This is just the first year. Just because you weren’t prioritized now doesn’t make you not a priority,” Stewart said. “We’re going to make our recommendations in the next couple of weeks, we’ll have a few weeks off, and then we’re right back at it. So just continue showing up.”

According to the report, Measure X is a countywide, voter-approved half cent tax that is intended “to keep Contra Costa’s regional hospital open and staffed; fund community health centers, emergency response; support crucial safety-net services; invest in early childhood services; protect vulnerable populations; and for other essential county services.” The CAB was established in February 2021 and is made up of 17 members—10 supervisorial district appointees and 7 at-large members—who serve two-year terms with a maximum limit of six years total. The CAB currently meets Wednesdays at 5:00 pm on Zoom.

Rubicon’s Workforce Services team provides top-notch employment services to local Bay Area businesses looking to expand their workforce at no cost.

Our team connects you with pre-screened, qualified job applicants at no cost to the employer. Serving a geographic area spanning the entire East Bay with offices in Hayward, Richmond, Concord, and Antioch, we draw on a roster of over five hundred job seekers to find people who meet your unique hiring needs. Our business clients range from multi-national corporations to local small business owners.

Our Workforce Liaisons provide a comprehensive array of staffing services to employers including:

• Customized direct staffing assistance
• Pre-screening and referrals of qualified candidates
• Free distribution and advertising of current job postings
• Virtual recruiting and hiring events
• Pre and post-employment support
• Employee retention assistance

Wage Reimbursements:

• Mitigate new hire costs
• Wage reimbursements up to $5,000

No-cost Labor Assistance:

• Temporary labor assignments 
• Increase workplace productivity 

If you are a business owner or hiring manager and would like to learn more about how Rubicon can help solve your staffing needs at no cost to you, please contact:

Business Service Manager, Workforce Services 
Gloribel Pastrana
gloribelp@rubiconprograms.org

Breaking poverty takes multiple strategies – and an affinity for change. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

That’s why Rubicon Programs has developed multiple approaches tailored to meet the needs of individuals, and of different East Bay communities.

In Oakland and Hayward, Rubicon offers job placement and career development services to those working to rise out of unemployment. Marthe is one of these individuals, and she’s striving to break poverty, make change and accomplish the goals she’s set for her life in a new land.

“I escaped violence in my home country of Cameroon,” Marthe says. “My family – my daughter, my grandson, and my sisters, nephews and nieces – brought me to Hayward.”

In Cameroon, Marthe was a nurse in a large hospital. She helped people. She made them well again.

“I like to take care of people,” she says. “I’ve been doing that my whole life. It makes me happy.”

Unfortunately, her back can no longer take the long hours on her feet, picking up patients and moving heavy equipment. She has come to the realization that she’s going to have to make a career change to start earning a living in her new home.

“Before Rubicon, I had been going to adult school to learn English, all while taking care of my grandson, she says. “Then, when I got here, I met with Ms. Celeste. She listened to me and connected me with my Career Advisor, Amabella.”

Marthe and Amabella soon went over her work history and strengths, and talked over her career options. Marthe wanted to continue helping people, but she had to find a workplace that could accommodate her back issues.

Together, they arrived at a solution: a new(ish) career in phlebotomy. As a phlebotomist, she could do similar work – drawing blood from patients – while staying off of her feet.

To become a phlebotomist though, she would need to learn the latest office technology, take phlebotomy classes and get certified.

“I don’t really have much experience with computers,” she adds. “So, I’ve been taking basic computer classes here every Thursday. I’m learning Outlook and Excel.”

All of these courses and certifications take time. In the meantime, she would still need to pay her bills.

Marthe and the Rubicon team decided to first focus on getting her into a more accessible job for the near future, as a caregiver, taking care of children with disabilities. Recently, she has begun applying for positions in this new field.

Amabella has helped her prepare her resume, and has taught her interview skills, as well as tips on how to ace a phone interview. They’ve done mock interviews and she has received one-one-one coaching sessions that have strengthened her soft skills and improved her confidence.

“Amabella makes me feel comfortable,” she says. “I can tell her anything. I can share anything.”

In other words, she meets her where she is.

“Since my first day, I have worried about my accent. But she assured me that it isn’t an issue. She’s an immigrant, too. She knows what I’m going through.”

Marthe is beyond grateful for all of this support.

“I feel more confident. I’m getting over the anxiety of it all.”

Amabella always says, “You’re going to win in that interview!” And it is that enthusiasm that keeps Marthe going as she tackles this sometimes daunting process.

“I’ve never taken care of children with disabilities,” she says. “But I’m eager to learn. And I’m optimistic for the future.”

Help Rubicon continue to break poverty by donating or explore the full participant journey here.

One in three Americans have interacted with the criminal justice system at some point in their lives. This one touchpoint can be life-changing, introducing dozens of new barriers that can follow an individual throughout their life, making it a challenge to get a job, rent a home or raise a child.

These barriers not only hold them back, but their children and the community, perpetuating intergenerational poverty. That’s where the Reentry Success Center (RSC) – a collaboration between Rubicon Programs and community partners – comes in.
 
The RSC is there for those reentering society after incarceration, as well as their families during – and after – their loved one is in prison or jail. While at the Center, staff, volunteers, community members and fellow returning residents work together to help people transition into a good job, put a deposit on an apartment, and reconnect with their friends and family.

“I was released from jail three weeks ago after a ten month sentence at West County,” says Michelle, a new member of the Reentry Success Center. “The Center was talked about a lot while there. I heard so many success stories, so I came here two days after my release.”

Michelle says she knew she needed a support network to get back on her feet. The Center sounded like the perfect fit.

“In jail, we don’t have to talk to each other. You are isolated. You push people away. But you have to work together to move forward in the community,” she says. “We come out uninformed about our rights. We don’t have the direction or structure to do what we need to yet.”

At the Center, she found the structure she was looking for; she soon signed-up for classes that have helped her move forward, including a Life Skills course, a Cognitive Skills class, and Trauma and Grief Therapy sessions. These opportunities have helped her acclimate to the workforce and manage some of the challenges in her personal life.

“My 9-year-old son tells me that I need to communicate better, so for now, I’m focusing on that. I’m also working to collect some of the skills that I need to thrive in my career.”

Another priority is learning how to navigate the job search process with a criminal record. “It’s hard to find a great job or get a career started,” she says. “There are many obstacles. Some employers look at me like a criminal. They put me in a box.”

Luckily, changes to California’s employment laws have made it a bit easier for her to have a fair chance. A.B. 1008, “Ban the Box” legislation signed in 2017 by Governor Jerry Brown, became law after a coalition of formerly incarcerated advocates came together to push for change.

Now, employers are no longer allowed to ask about an applicant’s criminal background until a conditional offer of employment is made, allowing people to show who they really are without preconceived notions and prejudices clouding an employer’s judgement.

“This allows people to sell themselves,” says Lawrence, the Reentry Center’s Volunteer Mentor Coordinator. The law has already helped some employers see the light.  “Now, there are many so-called ‘felon-friendly’ employers out there.”

Getting a job can still be a challenge, but those challenges are often overcome with hard work and dedication. “People have no job history and no references, so we try to take the skills they’ve learned on the street and apply them to today’s job market.”

Lawrence recruits and manages volunteers and mentors who help Center members build new careers – and lives. He’s seen many of his friends, family and colleagues go in and out of the system, and knows from experience what they have to do to succeed.

“It’s been documented that what happens in the first 72 hours after release has the greatest impact on whether an individual recidivates,” he says. “That timeframe is critical: You either go to a shelter, go home to your family, or you fall back in with the ‘homies’ who got you into jail in the first place.”

That’s why housing and community support go hand-in-hand during the reentry process.

“We’re fortunate to have a relationship with the probation department. They often bring newly-released individuals to the Center so they can get the resources they need and avoid their old ways.”

Richmond residents also benefit from a fair-chance policy that makes it more difficult for landlords to discriminate against potential tenants with a criminal record.  This increases access to housing, which in turn makes it easier to get and keep a job.

“When you first come home, you often stay at a shelter and get a temp job. But soon enough, you find out your shelter has residency cap – 30 days. How can potential employers contact you if you’re bouncing back-and-forth without a phone or mailing address?”

Having a stable home makes a world of difference. No one knows this better than Tommy, a participant who has completed the Center’s 8-week Alpha Program, a comprehensive curriculum that serves people who are at the highest risk of recidivating. “I’ve been living in shelters so that I can save my wages for a deposit, and now I’m in the process of looking for a permanent place to stay, a studio in Richmond,” he says.

Tommy says that the Alpha Program changed his life, helping make jobs and housing accessible. “I learned to reenter home life and work life. Then, I got a full-time job – just one month after Alpha.”

“It gave me a second chance at a first-class life,” he says.

After nearly a decade in incarceration, Tommy knew there had to be a better way. “Being told what to do, when to eat…letting someone take control of your life…it’s no way to live. I robbed myself of so many opportunities to advance and be happy. But now, I feel different. I look different. I talk different. I’m out of the unemployment line, and that feels great.”

“Everyone has struggles, but when you surround yourself with positivity, you can overcome those struggles,” he says. “I’m so grateful for the Center’s positive environment, all of these positive people, and all of this new information that has brought so many good things into my life.”

Tommy ties most of his success to the people he has kept around him. “I always had emotional support from my family,” he says. “But the Center had my back. They told me I don’t have to go into this alone, and they stayed by my side.”

 “When you get out of jail, it can feel like you are a newborn baby. You’re naked. You have nothing. But you don’t have to see it that way. It’s only temporary. And you don’t have to fall back on your old ways, or with old, negative people.” You have to make a conscious choice.

“I’m an Eagle. And Eagles can fly. There’s a reason Eagles don’t hang out with Turkeys. Turkeys can’t fly. You have to keep people around you that give you strength.”

In other words, he draws energy – and strength – from the Center.

“I’m going to keep coming here until it closes down. And I hope that day never comes.”

Help Rubicon break poverty by donating or explore the full participant journey here.

The "Rubicon Rangers" series is a first-person account of Rubicon's intern experience, authored by the interns, Jessica, Sandy and Justin, themselves.

The Clothing Closet Update

Having spent the summer in Rubicon’ old file cabinet room, the interns were able to transform the disorganized room into a welcoming boutique-style closet for the organization’s participants, where they can to choose a fresh, professional outfit that puts them on the path to success.

Now, with four wall racks packed with professional suits, the closet finally looks complete. The middle of the room is loaded with dress shirts ranging from different colors and sizes.

Since the interns’ project began, the clothing closet have gone a long way. Each and every men’s dress shirt has been checked for damage, and steamed to ensure a wrinkle-free look. All of the clothing is sorted by size and hung neatly on racks. On the tie racks, a variety of ties are provided to accompany each of the dress shirts with different, but complementary, patterns and prints. Professional dress shows are also displayed on the shoe rack by size.

As for women’s wear, the team sized various pants, dresses and blouses and arranged them onto the rack. Women’s shoes include flats and heels in every size. Thanks to a large shoe donation that arrived.

Accompanying the closet is a private fitting room that includes a three-pronged mirror, so the participants can view their newly picked outfits from every angle. The room also features a Persian rug and bench to make it feel more like a store fitting room or their own home, helping participants to feel comfortable and confident before their job interviews.

Our entire team is incredibly grateful for this opportunity to help break down poverty here at Rubicon. Our team has learned so much at Wardrobe for Opportunity, taking the skills we learned there and applying them to our own closet.

Community at Rubicon

At Rubicon, you can truly sense the scale of love and support for each of the various communities across the East Bay. In this organization, discrimination does not exist, conversation and cultural exchange is encouraged to overcome the difficulties that people of color and other identities experience. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) like the Black Rubies and an LGBTQ group give employees a safe space to tackle thorny issues and improve their community.

Rubicon employees have a strong bond and frequently work with employees outside their department and in offices throughout the East Bay. Employees build strong regional bonds that last a lifetime.

As an intern, this welcoming community here was apparent on day one. With our final days at Rubicon coming to an end, we’re coming to terms with the bittersweet fact that we’re going to have to leave this supportive environment, where care is showered upon participants and coworkers alike.

This same love and understanding nature is shown to the participants throughout their time at Rubicon, from the workshops to the electives and one-on-one coaching sessions. Impact coaches and facilitators constantly encourage and inspire participants to land on their feet and make the best decisions that will help improve their wellness, assets, income and connections.

Goodbye, Rubicon!