2016-596-E Finance - El Centro Hispano, Inc. - Outside Agency Performance Agreement

Browse Search

DocuSign Envelope ID:6BDD2794-5ECO-4DFF-B4F6-F496A1C3AB13 t A - continued Provider's Outside Agency Application MAIN APPLICATION It would impact our ability to provide services and meet all program components i) Include any other pertinent information. Since it first opened its doors in April 2015, CEL has served a diverse group of individuals from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. While originally, it was meant to reach and work with Latino Day Laborers, it is serving all individuals that are seeking employment. In particular, CEL is seeing an increasing number of homeless people seeking assistance and there is a need to connect them with human service and mental health services already available through the county. Staff has reported many success stories regarding workers who have been able to acquire and sustain employment in a more regular basis and who report wages are being paid as agreed upon. Three such examples are the following: • Two workers that arrived from Texas saw the CEL sign as they walked on the street toward "the corner". They asked what the organization was about and staff informed them of services. They were able to assist them that day with information about local shelters. They continued going to the center to look for work on the online database until one of them found work at a local Waffle House. He was found to be a good worker and was given permanent employment. This allowed him to leave the shelter and now rents from a Latino family. He visits the center on occasions to update staff of his progress. He is now a supervisor at the restaurant and on his own time sings Mexican rancheras. • Another success story is that of a Day Laborer that frequented "the corner". When CEL opened its doors, he was among the first to use the center. He was able to find work for each day until one employer from Weaver Street company liked the way he worked so much that he hired him as a full-time employee. • Mr.G (name withheld for privacy) arrived from Honduras. He is married to a US born and reside in the area. He did not speak English so he visited CEL to help find work. He had experience in pating, carpentry, welding, and in doing all form of renovations. He attend the ESL classes at CEL all summer and part of fall and has recently secured a full-time job as a plumber. He still attends CEL for classes and to get weekend work as a Day Laborer. More employers are beginning to seek workers from CEL and the process for hiring a day laborer has been formalized so as to ensure safe working conditions and a fair wage. Workers are seeking educational opportunities and learning how to review contracts and budget services. Residents in the area also use the center and employ laborers to do work in their homes. In order to continue providing services and better focus job training/placement efforts, ECH has secure staff and resources allocated to this project. When the building was first opened, ECH had to invest funds for upgrades and construction that had not been budgeted for. Now that it is coming on a year of operation, it has a better grasp of the amount of resources needed to provide services and seeks support from the County and its Towns to help us get people back to work. We are also quickly outgrowing our facility and hope to expand space to meet the needs of the increasing number of workers seeking assistance. Main Application 5/24/2016 4:43:09 PM Pag 5 of 11