As the Bay Area continues to gradually reopen with restrictions, Rubicon Programs and the San Lorenzo Adult School are teaming up with a group of over 30 community partners to host the Welcome Back Outdoor Resource/Job Fair on October 5. This is the first event of its kind at the school since late 2019.

“This pandemic has isolated people, and it’s prevented them from reaching out for help, for whatever reason,” San Lorenzo Adult School Principal Sharita Williams said. “I want to start to help break down that isolation in the community.”

Rubicon staff will be on site to connect attendees with the organization’s resources. In addition to engaging the community with Rubicon’s core programs and supportive services, staff will have information about COVID-19 relief grants and unique work opportunities available because of pandemic funding.

In addition to Rubicon, at least 33 confirmed vendors, many with job openings they are looking to fill, will be at the event. Diane Jesus, Workforce Development Navigator for Rubicon Programs, sees the event as a way to inspire participants who have struggled through the pandemic. “We are coming together to give hope to the community that has been in a pandemic for the past 18 months,” Jesus said. “I feel that our community needs empowerment and hope, and we are all coming together to let them know that there are valuable resources out here, and there are a lot of employers willing to hire.”

Other community-based organizations will also be on site to connect attendees with resources. Among them will be El Shaddai Ministries from San Lorenzo, whose volunteers will be distributing 80 to 100 nonperishable food boxes. Information about COVID-19 vaccinations and testing will also be available to all attendees, and a number of vendors will conduct giveaways throughout the event.

Trish Jetson, Transition Specialist for San Lorenzo Adult School, wants the event to show people that there are resources available for them in their own neighborhoods. “We are opening our doors for in-person lessons for the first time since we closed for the pandemic in March of 2020,” Jetson said. “Sometimes people don’t know that they are living around a valuable resource, and that’s what I know this school is.”

The fair is free and open to the public. Precautions are being taken to ensure that the outdoor event remains safe for attendees, including expanded space between vendors, a mask requirement for all on site, and low-touch activities to reduce contact with communal surfaces.

Rubicon Programs and San Lorenzo Adult School have collaborated together for the past eight years to bolster one another’s services for the community. The two agencies work in partnership to provide job skills training and employment resources to students and community members, among other services.

San Lorenzo Adult School offers a variety of free classes for the community, including a high school diploma program, and courses in Adult Basic Education/GED prep, English as a second language, computer skills, discussion and conversation skills, sewing, fashion design, and more. “We want people to know that we are here and open for the community,” Williams said. “We have a lot of free classes and resources that we can provide, and we want people to know that we are here for them.”

For questions or to get your organization involved in the event, contact Diane Jesus at dianej@rubiconprograms.org.