Welfare-to-Work Competitive Grants
Third Round Award

Awardee:	City of Gilroy, California 7351 Rosanna Street Gilroy, CA 95020
Contact:	Annabel Yurutucu
Phone:	(408) 846-0421           Fax:       (408) 846-0429
Proposed Award Amount:	$1,401,528
Project Emphasis:	Limited English Proficiency

Summary Paragraph: The City of Gilroy's project Mujeres Pueden, or "Women Can," focuses on Hispanic, limited-English speaking TANF recipients who reside in Gilroy and the surrounding areas of Southern Santa Clara County, California. This community saturation project will provide comprehensive services to one census tract which contains 45% of the city's TANF caseload. Recognizing the high cost of living in the San Jose area, the project is designed to give participants the necessary skills and experience to be successful in non-traditional employment, including union apprenticeships and micro-enterprise design/self employment, capitalizing on the boom in home construction/repair and the need for related service businesses in the area. In addition Mujeres Pueden will build off of the success of Gilroy's PIC-funded Welfare-to-Work Program, "Adelante Familia," and is directly tied to the City's HUD approved Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy.

Community Served: Gilroy and surrounding areas in Santa Clara County, CA

Barriers/Target Group: This project targets the hardest to serve long-term welfare recipients who reside in the Gilroy/South County Service Area. The most significant employment barrier faced is limited English language ability, affecting approximately 75% of TANF recipients in this Service Delivery Area. Other barriers include lack of child care, limited public transportation in the community, lack of education, including limited access to training/apprenticeships in non-traditional employment and high-tech manufacturing.

Partnerships: This project has enlisted support throughout the City of Gilroy with the Housing and Community Development Office as the lead agency and fiscal agent. Other significant players include: Community Solutions, Silicon Valley PIC, Growth and Opportunities, Economic and Social Opportunities/Community Alliance for Upgrading Student Access and Achievement, Gilroy Family Resource Center, South County Collaborative (umbrella group for CBOs to work collaboratively), Mexican American Community Service Agency, Morgan Hill Community Adult School, the Women's Initiative for Self-Employment, and a number of other community-based and business-related groups.

Innovations/Service Strategy: The innovative elements of Mujeres Pueden include the saturation of services within one Census Tract that is approximately 25% of Gilroy's population, including approximately 45% of the targeted TANF cases. The proposed service strategy is to provide TANF recipients within this area with the necessary skills and support to search or, land, and most importantly, maintain a job, including self-employment. The overarching goal is for participants to achieve long-term independence and to earn a livable wage. Focusing on non-traditional employment and micro-enterprise design/self-employment, the service strategy features partnering with several local community-based organizations with the necessary experience to assist participants: 1) gain the skills, attitude and support to work in non-traditional settings through union apprenticeships and on-the-job training repairing homes in the City of Gilroy; and 2) provide the practical support and education to start-up and run a small business. Since the targeted population is predominantly Hispanic and not native English speakers, services will be provided by bilingual staff. Program and support services will take place in the South County Neighborhood Self-Sufficiency Center.