Day workers wait for a better tomorrow Day workers wait for a better tomorrow (December 05, 2003)

Weather and economy have slowed down business

By Jon Wiener

Thanksgiving morning at the St. Joseph the Worker Center is no different than any other morning. At 7 a.m., just as she does every morning from Monday through Saturday, director Maria Marroquin opens the back door to the Calvary Church on Escuela Avenue and California Street, home to the center since May of 2002.

The day worker center is operated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Santa Clara County, one of six recipients of the Voice Holiday Fund.

When the door is swung open, people begin to stream in, hoping only for the chance to do manual labor for others.

The workers put their names on the list that Marroquin uses to assign jobs. When employers call, the day workers that arrived earliest get first priority. Less than one in four will find a job today.

And like every other day, the mood is far from somber. This being Thanksgiving, some of the women are in the kitchen cooking tamales for the more than 60 people present. (The men will do the dishes). Two of the workers are reading, in Spanish, the history of Thanksgiving. That is followed by a list of reasons to be thankful. These are not hard to come by for the workers -- arms, legs, some kind of a roof, the good fortune to live in California, and of course the Center itself.

The festivities continue after the meal. Five lucky winners of a free raffle become the proud owners of large frozen turkeys, while five more come away with new T-shirts. When that is finished, the music (and some impromptu salsa dancing) begins.

"We celebrate almost everything," says Marroquin. A fully decorated Christmas tree was set up on Monday.

It's an impressive accomplishment, given the obstacles facing the workers.

"I'm really proud of these workers," says Marroquin. "It's really hard to be here without family, without a job, without anything. Whatever they do have they share. And every day they say, 'maybe tomorrow.' That takes a lot of courage."

According to Marroquin, the center sees an average of 100 workers each day, mostly from Mountain View, but only gets requests for 25 jobs, usually in Los Altos or Palo Alto. She says the center offers workers a central location and protection against abuse. Nevertheless, some opt to go stand with the group on El Camino Real, hoping to increase their visibility to drivers. The rest remain inside, sometimes all day, taking English classes, playing checkers or simply chatting to pass the time.

Raymundo Rubio prefers to come to the center because he likes to see his friends there. He came to the United States from Mexico City four years ago and lives by himself. He has a steady job as a construction worker, but the combination of rain, the holidays and the economic downturn have left him with little work.

Guillermo, who did not give his last name, is sitting nearby. He is proud of the fact that he has been in the country legally since 1980. But even though he has papers, the gaps in his employment record make it difficult for him to get a retail job. Divorced and sleeping in his car, Guillermo says he may move early next year if his prospects do not start to improve.

Taking off his orange U-Haul cap to reveal a bald pate, he says, "I'm not desperate. I'm taking my time. I'm patient, but I want to feel more involved in the community, like a taxpayer.

"I am grateful for God and St. Vincent de Paul, all these personnel and all the people that donate to the center."

Marroquin, who is the only staff person, is planning to expand training opportunities for workers at the center. She would also like to buy a truck to help them get to more jobs.

"Employers call looking for workers, but a lot of them don't have licenses," she says, citing the recent repeal of the state law that briefly allowed illegal immigrants to drive.

Marroquin hopes that one day the St. Vincent de Paul Society will be able buy a permanent home for the center. Until then, the workers will make do.

Thanksgiving morning is just like any other morning at the St. Joseph the Worker Center. There is struggle, hope, and celebration. Marroquin shares the text of a note she found attached to a box of fruit on the doorstep: "You are heroes."

The St. Vincent de Paul Society operates the day worker center at the Calvary Church on the corner of Escuela Avenue and California Street. It opens at 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday.

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