Smoothing the Transition into American Life By Jeannie Howard For nearly 25 years the Multicultural Institute has been assisting immigrants transitioning into a new way of life away from their homeland—into an American life. “Our goal with every person who comes to us is for them to secure a job, to become financially independent, and to fully participate in society,” explained Fr. Rigoberto Calocarvias, PhD, Executive Director of the Institute. “We accompany immigrants in transition from poverty and isolation to prosperity and participation. This means we want them to completely feel a part of this society and for them to contribute.” Through a variety of outreach programs in Contra Costa, Alameda and San Mateo counties, the Institute helps more than 2,500 individuals annually with everything from food and housing to job placement and computer skills. “We have several programs that aim to service two profiles of populations; one is immigrants and low income, and the other is employers,” said Calocarvias. The Day Laborer Program is an example of how both population groups are benefiting at the same time, explained Calocarvias. “We have close to 1,500 day laborers during any year and those that hire day laborers rely on the Institute to provide them with the right people to do the right job,” he said. In addition to screening laborers for basic information and skill sets, the Multicultural Institute sets the minimum wage at $15 per hour and does a follow up with the employer and the worker to make sure that both parties were satisfied with the job done. “We don’t collect money from either the employer or laborer, we are only a connecting link,” added Calocarvias. Since many fulltime employers require at least a GED, the Institute does offer a five-week-long GED prep program so participants will be able to take the online GED test. “Many people who have done this program have gone onto college and are very happy with their own personally development,” he said proudly. “The GED program is what led us to start the Business Skills Development program for many of those adults who realize that they could begin a small or mid-size business.” Would be business owners are able receive up to sixty hours of training on how to put together a small business. “We help them put together a business plan, marketing strategies, and figure out the finances,” he explained. “This program has paid off big time. Many of them have gone on to begin their own businesses. We have some incredible success stories.” While the Multicultural Institute has many ways for adults to receive help, youth are certainly not forgotten. “We have Mentoring for Academic Success (MAS) with a summer component called the Youth Writing Festival,” Calocarvias shared. Through MAS, students are able to receive afterschool tutoring and enrichment with the goal of becoming academically proficient and being able to compete for post-secondary education. During the summer, students are able to continue learning through the writing program. 58 MARKETPLACEcontracosta.com october 2015
Contra Costa Marketplace - Oct 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above