The Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board and the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services will host a Kick-off Event & Resource Fair for the mobile Farmworker Resource Center (FWRC), also known as Proyecto Campesino.
The presentation will start at 2 p.m. with a resource fair to follow until 4 p.m. at the Workforce Resource Center located at 1410 South Broadway in Santa Maria. The agenda includes a welcome ceremony, the unveiling of the mobile office, commentary from elected officials, and a resource fair.
Dignitaries in attendance will include Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann, Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson, Santa Maria Councilmember Carlos Escobedo, Assistant CEO Tanja Heitman, DSS Director Daniel Nielson, and Atticus Ford Reyes from the office of Assemblymember Steve Bennett providing a certificate of recognition.
The event welcomes farmworkers and their families, employers (growers), and community-based organizations.
“The event aims at connecting farmworkers to valuable resources provided by our community partners,” said Luis Servin, Executive Director for the Workforce Development Board. “Our objective is to establish trust and strong connections with farmworkers, employers, and community partners.”
The program will be available in English, Spanish, and Mixteco. Speakers include Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board Executive Director Luis Servin, Supervisor Joan Hartmann, Supervisor Bob Nelson, and Farmworker Program Coordinator Cesar Guerrero. Following the presentation, the resource fair will feature dozens of booths providing resources from the County, community-based organizations, and local community colleges, all offering services and information to farmworkers. Each organization will have English and Spanish speakers available.
Community-based organizations wanting to have a table to offer free resources can register at Eventbrite: https://SBCFWRC.eventbrite.com.
Through its mobile office, the FWRC will conduct outreach countywide, providing referrals in collaboration with trusted community partners. The FWRC will serve as a one-stop shop for information and resources in areas such as employment, education, financial assistance, emergency supportive services, and health and human services. The FWRC's mobile office will travel countywide offering office hours in various locations, including on evenings and weekends, as well as being available to attend outreach events and quickly deploy to respond to emergencies.
To contact the Farmworker Resource Center, email FWRC@SBCWDB.org, call (805) 614-1244, or visit www.countyofsb.org/FWRC.
For information about Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board, go to www.sbcwdb.org.