Posted by Juan Gomez, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Aug 27, 2007 at 7:19 pm

I am not sure the Day Worker center has made progress in the beginning or end. As far as I have seen Maria Mariquin has benifited

from misuse of donations to buy her personal purchases including buying a house. Who hired her in the first place. The money is not going to the day workers.

Posted by MVResident_X, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Sep 3, 2007 at 12:54 pm

Wouldn't this center best fit next to the proposed Home Depot location (to replace Sears in a few years)? It seems most day-workers would get the most opportunities in that location. Perhaps Home Depot could even pitch in to make a nice place for them to wait. Also, does any government agency or charitable organization do any outreach work at this center to help these people take steps to get beyond "day" worker status and become fully employed, legal (if necessary) citizens? I have considered hiring day workers but have hesitated because I am unsure of their legal status and am wary of strangers with no references. It would be helpful if there was a system where these workers had some sort record of their work, their status and recommendations from past employers.

Posted by Jose Arocha, a resident of another community, on Sep 16, 2007 at 12:34 am

I volunteer at the day worker center occasionally. Maria Marroquin, the board members and the DWC volunteers are dedicated and do a wonderful job in serving both the workers and the Mt.View neighbors who benefit from the worker services. The DWC makes it very easy to connect with workers in a friendly and well-seasoned broking process. I invite every neighbor in Mt.View to approach the DWC and learn more about the possibilities they offer.

I am sorry about the comments expressed by Mr. Gomez above. The DWC has an active community of stakeholders who believe strongly in Maria Marroquin leadership and management. This contradicts Mr. Gomez statements.

Replying to MVResident_X from the previous comment, the DWC follows up with the neighbors employing workers at the center to get their feedback. This serves as a reference for the center.

I am also part of the team building Laborfair.com, a trusted service marketplace where people connect fairly. We are doing exactly what you envision to be helpful, a place online where people can find service providers with references and reviews from previous employers in the Bay Area. Go to www.laborfair.com to learn more about it.