Monument Futures: Women Program

The Monument Community is a vibrant, diverse, but severely under-resourced community in the heart of Concord, California. Over the past 10 years, the Latino population in the Monument has increased by approximately 350% and Latino immigrants alone (not counting other immigrant or ethnic groups) currently comprise over half of the community's 32,000 residents. The people who live, work and operate businesses here want what everyone else wants - to have the opportunity to be rewarded for their hard work. Yet, despite their ambitions and talents, the 2000 U.S. census indicated that 63% of residents who live here are low income and more than 40% are very low income. Meanwhile, many opportunities, resources and programs that have proven successful in building family and community income and assets elsewhere had simply not available in the Monument. Furthermore, the Monument Community has valuable human resources that are in demand throughout the East Bay region, yet are not being adequately supported or promoted. If opportunities to get rewarding work are limited for many men who live in the Monument, they are almost non-existent for the large numbers of women. Over the past year, we have been able to place about 80 women in cleaning jobs and similar work by maintaining a job list. All would love to have a better life for themselves and their children. In July 2005, we began to engage women in visioning a different future for themselves. When developing their vision and goals for the future, they chose 3 goals for themselves: Getting safe housecleaning work for immediate survival through Monument Futures; starting businesses in arts and crafts; and taking computer classes. Goals: To serve the women’s community in the Monument Corridor by developing programs that would contribute to a better economic growth in this segment of the population. To increase the Monument Corridor’s development by including the female community and their supportive input. To develop programs that would fulfill women’s needs in search of their growth as positive individuals. To develop programs of interest that will train women in different areas, such as: ESL Computers Arts and Crafts

Additional Information: open from 6:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Reservations available via phone at anytime (925) 680-2844 A minimum of 24hrs notice Workers have a minimum of 5 hrs of work. Various skill levels - $12 per hr. for basic labor You will have to pick up and drop workers at the center, and pay them directly at the end of the day.