Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation is proud to be a partner with HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality) for the 2019 Latina Empowerment Day, a one-day intensive workshop series created to empower Latinas to increase their community advocacy and strengthen their skills and knowledge on a variety of issues.

The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, Sept. 13, at the Courtyard by Marriott Oxnard/Ventura, 600 Esplanade Drive in Oxnard.

Latinas are a major force in the economy by population size, rising educational attainment, and considerable purchasing power, said Maya Gomez-O’Candis, Research and Communications Strategist at HOPE.

“Latinas make up nearly 20 percent of California’s overall population, they are enrolling in college at record rates, and the rate of creation of Latina-owned businesses continues to exceed the national average. The economic success of Latinas is inextricably linked to the economic sustainability of California. For this reason, it is important to provide Latinas with the necessary tools to advance their careers and to amplify their voices on public policy issues. HOPE aims to provide these tools via the Latina Empowerment Day workshop series,” she said.

This year’s topics include small business financial literacy, advancing in your career and California’s energy goals.

“The workshops bring Latinas personal and professional development tools including career advancement strategies and insight on how to start your own business. Participants will also develop a basic understanding of California’s Greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals and learn how they can engage their communities about energy and environmental issues,“ Gomez-O’Cadiz said.

Nidia Rodriguez, Director of Human Resources at Cabrillo attended the event last year.

“I enjoyed the networking aspect of the event, I was able to meet new community members and reconnect with colleagues. There were good speakers and on the housing end, it was great to learn about California’s energy goals as they related to new construction,” she said. I would encourage any Latina professional who is active in her community and looking to build personal and professional development skills to attend,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to connect, recharge and engage with fellow Latinas in Ventura County.”

Registration for the event is $25 for early bird registration, which ends Aug. 30 and $35 thereafter. To register or learn more about the event, visit the online registration page at led19ventura.eventbrite.com. For questions please contact [email protected].

This event is presented by the California Corporation (CRC), the California Teacher’s Association (CTA), Southern California Edison, SoCalGas, and Wells Fargo. HOPE is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring political and economic parity for Latinas through leadership, advocacy, and education to benefit all communities and the status of women.

About 40 residents at Azahar Place Apartments in Ventura enjoyed a paint night courtesy of two teens with an artist’s knack who donated their time to teach fellow residents ages 3-70 how to paint.

William Caceres. 14, and Jazmin Garcia, 12, both residents of Azahar Place apartments, stepped in when the professional instructor originally contacted to conduct the event canceled at the last minute, said Gabby Vignone, resident manager at Azahar Place Apartments.

“I was so proud of them for being fearless and taking on the challenge so the event could still happen. I reached out to the two teen-age residents who have expressed a love of art to see if they were willing to take on the challenge. They did, and in a few days put together what they would paint and how they would work together to instruct,” Vignone said.

Jazmin said she had a lot of fun working with fellow residents and helping them learn to paint. “I was a little shy at first, but the people were nice and made me feel comfortable,” she said. Jazmin her love of art has increased since she first started sketching some of her favorite characters, then evolved to other sketching subjects and painting.

William, who attributes his talent to his family, since his grandmother and great grandfather are both artists, said the biggest challenge in putting on the event was trying to find inspiration to know what to paint and speaking to a room full of people.

“It felt amazing to teach a room full of people how to paint because some of the people that were in the room may never get to have the chance to take an art class,” he said.

The paint night event is part of a series of community events that take place each month at Azahar Place Apartments. Inspiration for the events comes from resident requests. Vignone said resident Veronica Garcia, Jazmin’s mother, suggested doing a paint night during a previous Mother’s Day event where residents were creating birdhouse paintings.

“This was our first time organizing and putting on a paint night, and is something we will be doing yearly from now on,” Vignone said.

Vignone said resident Maria Sanchez, grateful for the teens’ instruction, asked if they could teach an art class once a month so everyone at Azahar could become as talented as William and Jazmin.

Vignone said that as a resident manager, it is her goal to connect residents with their local community and with each other, and this was one of the more productive community-building events.

“The teaching aspect alone created confidence in the young teens, gave them an item to put on their resume, and a way to say thank you to all of their community. Paint Night was an immensely beautiful and special event and provided an opportunity for families who cannot afford to purchase tickets to a paint night a chance to have the same experience with their entire family present,” Vignone said.

“The event allowed families to share the community center space and interact with one another. Residents were able to create connections with each other that turn into priceless friendships and support systems, which is exactly what we are aiming for,” she said,

Office Depot, Veronica Garcia and Cabrillo’s Resident Services Department, provided supplies for the event.

Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation is excited to announce that CIT Bank/One West Bank has awarded a $50,000 community service grant to help the organization provide comprehensive housing services and a ladder of opportunity to its low- to moderate-income residents and families, including farmworkers, seniors, veterans and individuals with special needs.

“Housing is a platform for moving out of poverty, obtaining an education, maintaining stable employment, sustaining healthy relationships with friends and family, being part of a community, and achieving all of the things that most families take for granted,” said Denise Bickerstaff, Director of Business Development and Administration at Cabrillo. “This grant will allow us to continue to provide valuable services to our residents who need it most.”

Cabrillo’s Resident & Community Services Department provides supportive programs and educational opportunities for both adults and children living at its 23 properties. Programs such as homework clubs and after-school programs; fitness and nutrition classes; food distributions and community gardens; and ESL, citizenship and financial literacy classes that provide needed educational support, physical activity, and opportunities for economic advancement.

Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation has received a $2,500 grant from The Limoneira Foundation to fund Homework Clubs at six of Cabrillo’s properties.

The Cabrillo Homework Clubs are an afterschool tutoring program that provides homework assistance and general academic help for farmworker and other low-income families. The clubs reinforce concepts and instruction from class, provide opportunities to learn and practice new skills, and support principles of youth development.

“Last year we were able to expand our Homework Clubs from four sites to six, resulting in 64 students attending the on a weekly basis and logging 3,375 hours of participation,” said Denise Bickerstaff, Director of Business Development and Administration at Cabrillo. “This grant from the Limoneira Foundation will allow us to continue providing after-school homework assistance and activities to the children of our residents. We are grateful for their support and dedication to our farmworker families.”