Week of June 19, 2023

JOB RESOURCES AT JUNETEENTH PICNIC

In an effort to continue to support employers and job seekers post-COVID, EWDD has been coordinating with its workforce development system providers (WorkSource, YouthSource, and BusinessSource Centers) to host job fairs and hiring events throughout the city of Los Angeles. These job fairs have created opportunities for employers to gain access to qualified candidates and for job seekers to find work.

In partnership with Juneteenth 400, a nonprofit organization that hosts an annual Juneteenth Celebration, EWDD worked with NAACP’s San Pedro/Wilmington Vice President Joe Gaitlan and Port of Los Angeles’ David Labatique to host a job fair at the Juneteenth Picnic on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Over 40 job seekers attended to meet with employers including Southeast WorkSource, City of LA’s Targeted Local Hire Program, FedEX Express, Ulta Beauty, UCLA Health, LAUSD and 12 other employers. Councilmember Tim McOsker (pictured above center with EWDD staff) also attended the event to thank employers for coming out and supporting the community.

To learn more about EWDD’s WorkSource Center employment services, visit bit.ly/EWDDWorkSource.

MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS? YOUTH PEERS HELP

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) recently recognized EWDD’s YouthSource Peer to Peer Counseling Program, which will train youth to provide mental health support to youth ages 18-24. The program, which will be launched later this year, is designed to create a pipeline for youth to pursue careers in mental health services. An excerpt of the article, which explains how the program works, is included below.

CLASP’s mental health work has consistently shown that young people strongly prefer to receive support from peers and to receive support in trusted community-based settings, including youth workforce development programs. Research has also shown that youth workforce system leaders and providers feel their programs are unprepared to meet the mental health needs of their participants, who have disproportionately experienced trauma because of community violence, financial strain, racism and discrimination, and/or histories of child welfare and criminal legal system involvement. CLASP’s mental health work has consistently shown that young people strongly prefer to receive support from peers and to receive support in trusted community-based settings, including youth workforce development programs.

The City of Los Angeles operates 14 YouthSource Centers that serve as hubs for youth workforce development programs. As part of this new program to support mental health, each center will recruit 3 to 5 young people ages 18-24 to participate in a peer youth support certification program. Program participants will be paid $16.75 per hour to complete 300 hours of certification training. The participants will spend about one-third of these hours taking LA County’s Department of Mental Health peer support certification curriculum. They will also be required to spend 200 practicum hours providing mental health support—including assistance navigating the mental health system, referral to services, and other support as needed—to other young people who are accessing youth workforce services through the center.

Upon completion of the program, certified youth peer specialists will be eligible for hire as Medicaid-reimbursable providers through the county’s Department of Mental Health. The partnership between the youth workforce system and the county-level mental health system in LA County demonstrates an expansion of mental health care for opportunity youth enrolled in workforce development programs while also building career opportunities for young people who want to provide much-needed support to their peers.

To read the full article, click here.

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MARKET TURNS INTO HEALTHY SPACE

EWDD provides Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to the Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC), which spearheads the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network (HNMN). The program improves the healthy food offerings of corner stores in Los Angeles by transforming corner markets and liquor stores into a convenient and healthy food retail option for residents in food deserts.

La Placita Market is a Healthy Neighborhood Market Network participant. This year, the market has invested in making capital improvements to their business, by leveraging the support of our program and community partners to facilitate their new look for the benefit of their community. As a family legacy business, under the leadership of Ricardo Lopez, he and his family have created the space for community engagement by hosting cooking demonstrations and participating in SEE-LA’s market match program, which offers produce incentives to EBT customers. The family has coordinated the operations and marketing efforts of this incentive to ensure that all Angelinos have access to quality food. Further, they have met with leaders of produce companies to discuss how they can further their impact locally. Today, Ricardo continues to lead the operations of the market in hopes of one day opening the family's second location after 16 years in the business. Currently, they are working to launch a crowdfunding campaign to paint a mural with a Mexican artist as a narrative to the cultural roots and legacy of the families in the Pico-Union community.

“I am grateful for the support of the city’s (business resource services) and their help to ensure that we stay in business to serve our community. The support has allowed us to make much needed improvements in our market to provide a better customer experience. Now, we are focused on making sure that our exterior facade communicates the quality of the offerings we have inside our market,” said owner Emiliana Lopez (pictured above).

La Placita Market is located in Los Angeles City Council District 1.

EWDD RESOURCES & JOB FAIRS

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If you have any questions, comments, or wish to have a contribution considered for inclusion in an upcoming EWDD Updates, please contact Jamie Francisco at (213) 744-9048 or [email protected]