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Last month marked the 20th anniversary for the Mountain View’s Day Worker Center, and to celebrate, the nonprofit threw a party. It was a festive mixer bringing together the nonprofit’s donors and laborers, many of them foreign born, who daily queue up at the center to find an honest day’s work.
But in many ways, the Nov. 10 festivities were overshadowed by the election just two days earlier, which delivered some mixed results. Locally, voters approved a rent control measure to help the city’s struggling tenants. Nationally, voters picked Donald Trump for president, who made undocumented immigrants a punching bag throughout his campaign and pledged to initiate mass deportations when he takes office in January.
These are paradoxical times for the Day Worker Center: The nonprofit has carved out a stable position for itself in Mountain View amid a climate that, for many of its members, feels increasingly unstable. Many of its workers — dubbed compañeros at the center — are fearful about Trump’s election, worried about the future and, in some cases, suffering insults and derogatory remarks. In short, people feel “vulnerable” about the incoming administration, said Executive Director MarÃa MarroquÃn.
“Our workers are concerned about these events,” she said. “It’s imperative that we take care of each other. We can’t rely on the government if something happens.”
The Day Worker Center is one of seven local nonprofits benefiting from the Voice’s annual Holiday Fund. Donations to the fund are divided equally among the organizations, and, thanks to the support of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, 100 percent of the donations go directly to the seven recipient agencies.
Twenty years ago, the Day Worker Center got its start, operating out of the rectory of St. Joseph Catholic Church in downtown Mountain View. Over the years, it has hopscotched to about a half-dozen locations throughout the city before raising enough money in 2008 to purchase its permanent home at 113 Escuela Ave.
At the Day Worker Center, anyone in need of extra labor, such as landscaping, moving or cooking, can drop by or submit an online work order. Workers are typically paid $15 an hour, and sometimes more, depending on the job.
Those job request go to a waiting list of about 40 compañeros who regularly come to the center looking for work.
Currently, workers are paid in cash, but the Day Worker Center staff is looking into creating an electronic billing system.
One of the workers at the center last week was Tom Penard, a Santa Clara resident who has been a regular since last year. The most recent job he found through the Day Worker Center was for the local Kiwanis Club, setting up signs and lights for the group’s annual Christmas tree lot.
“It’s good employment, and I feel like I’m doing some good work,” Penard said, beaming. “It’s a great place; if I wasn’t here, then I’d have to find work through a temp agency.”
On days when there isn’t enough work to go around, compañeros are encouraged to take free training courses to improve their marketable skills. MarroquÃn counts herself among those who improved her livelihood this way, building up her English language skills and taking on side jobs.
Little by little, the Day Worker Center is becoming more of a community center, she said. In the last year, the facility was built out with a $150,000 commercial kitchen, allowing aspiring chefs to try their hand at cooking. Breakfast and lunch are prepared daily for the workers for a suggested donation of $3 per meal.
Hoping to build on this, MarroquÃn said she is investigating creating a cottage-food operation out of the center. She hopes to partner with local grocery stores and cafes to have them stock food products prepared at the Day Worker Center. She said she would like to purchase a food truck to take the snacks on the road.
The Day Worker Center’s services are available to all. MarroquÃn and other staff members make it a point not to ask any questions about their clients’ immigration status — a stance similar to how local law enforcement interacts with the community. In fact, next month Mountain View Police Chief Max Bosel is scheduled to drop by the center to hold an open discussion with its members, she said.
I used the help of a worker at the Center and was very happy with the experience. I consider the Center a resource for the community and want to congratulate them on their success and initiative.
My family immigrated to the United Stated several decades ago. I remember as a youngster standing in long lines rain, shine, or snow with many other hopeful souls hoping for the opportunity to come to the United States. It took us several years, numerous visits to the United States Embassy, background checks, and medical examinations before we were finally granted a resident alien visa.
We were so thrilled and honored to have been allowed to come to this country. We understood that it was not a right but a gift from the American people, and we didn’t expect or demand it. We were grateful. When we finally became US citizens, we held my head up high with pride at the privilege.
Today there are thousands and thousands of hopeful immigrants going through the same process. They are following the rules, and abiding by the laws of this country in which they hope to make a future home.
What a slap in the face it is then that by walking across the border into the country, people can effectively jump to the front of the line. What message does it send when one is willing to start off by willingly violating the laws of the host country? How much respect can they have for this country if they are willing to break the law with their very first act on our soil? What message does it send that nothing come of flagrantly doing so?
We hear of proposals to make illegal immigrants pay a fine and ‘go to the back of the line’. What does that even mean when they can remain in the country and reap the benefits of living here, while those following the rules are kept in their respective countries?
But these are desperate people wishing for a better life. Yes, perhaps that is true; however, that too applies to those waiting patiently for years in the long lines in the hope, not the certainty, of being granted the right to live and work in the United States.
So yes, if you are in the country illegally perhaps you should feel vulnerable, because frankly you should not be here and you know it. I am tired of hearing the trope that ‘the children were brought here through no fault of their own’. That is true; however, their parents came into this country knowing full well that they were doing so illegally, and actions have consequences, and consequences can and often are far reaching. By effectively failing to act we have created a moral hazard wherein more and more people pour into the country, because they know that there are no consequences.
Don’t forget that our country was founded and built by “illegal immigrants.” Maybe you should learn some US history?
The dreaded “illegals” make up 5-10% of this country’s economy. If your President Trump makes good on his promise of a mass deportation, the economy will dive and hundreds of thousands of “legals” will lose their job.
I have found workers at the Center to be consistently hard working, skilled, respectful and pleasant. They provide excellent services, and I encourage people to pay what they think it is worth on the market, not just the minimum.
Steve’s comments are 100% accurate. While his detractors ask for empathy, why don’t they show empathy for the people murdered or raped by illegal aliens. Kate Steinle’s family deserves empathy as does the families of Spencer Golvach, Vanessa Pham,Grant Ronnebeck, Sister Denise Mosier… all Murdered by illegals.The progressive left needs to accept reality that places like the day worker center support lawlessnes by not verifying the immigration status of who is there. I hope ICE raids the place and arrests the director for willful violation of federal laws.
I encourage you to visit the Day Worker Center to meet these people for yourself. They are your neighbors and to lump them in with killers is disgusting and divisive. Mountain View is better than this bigotry.
Respect for the rule of law does NOT equal bigotry.
You’re right, that doesn’t equal bigotry. Insisting in dehumanizing people by calling them “illegals” and equating good, hard-working people with killers and rapists just because of their immigration status DOES equal bigotry.
Please, go to the Day Worker Center and actually talk to the people you have no problem denigrating online. It will help you grow as a person and become closer with your community.
@True
I would argue that the issue here has little to do with bigotry, diversity, illegal aliens, or the rule of law. Those claims are mostly smoke screens. This is all really about some Silicon Valley residents wanting a deal on house cleaning, gardening and cheap manual labor so they can maintain their life styles. It’s their version of hacking the domestic service and household maintenance industry. They’ve just convinced themselves that it’s the right thing to do. They’ve convinced themselves that they are promoting diversity and multicultural understanding while helping out the unfortunate day workers. What they won’t admit it that they, the people making use of the services of the Day Worker Center, are walking away, in most instances, with most of the benefits, with a much better deal and savings in the process. They won’t admit that the wages they are paying are still a mere pittance–an amount they themselves have never had to live on. They won’t admit that by hiring from the Day Worker Center, they are hurting law abiding contractors and business, many of which want to provide health care to legal workers but can’t . They won’t admit that the rest of community is subsidizing to some degree the entire process. I would have much more respect for people who support the Day Worker Center if they would just donate money to it as a charity and not double dip for a deal on cheap manual labor at the same time.
@mv resident 2
Please, go to the Day Worker Center and actually talk to the people you are looking for a good deal on cheap labor that skirts immigration, labor and social security labor law. It will help you become educated as a person and get a better understanding of how your community works (i.e., the Dark Side of Silicon Valley). While the Day Worker Center no doubt helps people, it is nonetheless a magnate that keeps contributing to a problem.
@Enough, I’ve never used the Day Worker Center as a source of labor. If you’d read the article you’d see that they provide other services as well. Have you ever been there and actually talked to these members of your community?
I really wish bigotry wasn’t the issue here, but it’s really hard to claim that when we have people ranting about “illegals” and lumping all the workers in with killers and rapists.
Mountain View Voice. Those posts were absolutely on topic and exactly what the article was discussing. The fact you deleted them is outrageous. You are trying to direct and control thoughts and perceptions with the most incredible bias. This insane misuse of journalism is EXACTLY why Trump was elected.
You media just don’t seem to get it. Stop presenting just the side you agree with. Allow free expression of thoughts and discussion. Or we’re all going to get stuck with something like Trump again!
I object to many of the above comments, the content is off topic. The article did not discuss how pleasant or respectful people are therefore the post with that comment should be removed.
The article did not discuss “lumping all the workers in with rapists and killers” That post should be removed.
The article did not discuss whether someone is happy with the experience….that post should be removed.
The article did not discuss that our country was “founded by illegals”…..that post should be removed.
Now how ridiculous is this?
mvresident2003, I suggest you take a look at how poorly Trump did here in California, we’re not in any danger of electing a demagogue that approves of violence against innocent people exercising their rights. But the divisive rhetoric that’s been on display in this thread is a great example of why Trump’s brand of politics will not take hold here in California, and your flailing about here shows how desperate you’ve become.
I’m not desperate for anything LOL. But if I were the poster Steve, I would sue the Voice for discrimination. He made a well written, calm description about his personal experience as an immigrant on a three about Day a Workers/immigrants. And they are saying it was off topic?
No, actuslly this is the desperate attempt to squash opinion. Shame
on the Voice
My original post was removed. Can someone explain to me how asking, “How does one employ people from the Day Worker center without running afoul of labor and tax law?” is problematic?
I mean, at least two commenters have said that they have in the past employed people from the day worker center so apparently it’s been done. I’m genuinely curious. How do you go about doing this?
Does the day worker center provide you with I-9 forms to verify employment eligibility? Do they provide an e-verify terminal for you to use? Seems like one would have a whole raft of employment compliance related things to account for when hiring….how does one practically satisfy all of those regulatory matters?
@True, they have a website where you can find answers to these questions, or you can take my advice from earlier and go there to talk to some of the people. If you’re honestly curious about this, that’s a great way to start a face-to-face dialogue with members of your community. Best of luck to you!
Randy, you suggest “take my advice from earlier and go there to talk to some of the people”
Gee, I don’t see the moniker “randy” anywhere earlier…..you wouldn’t be posting under multiple names would you? That’s not allowed under the guidelines…..but hey, you support illegals too, why follow any rules or guidelines right?
Let’s see how long this post stays up, it’s probably “off topic”
@mvresident2003, I hope you can learn to be a little less angry. You can’t resist dehumanizing your neighbors by calling them “illegals.” It’s really sad. Please, take the time out to meet some of these people. It’ll widen your horizons and maybe make you less likely to denigrate other members of your community.
Busted. Good little lawsuit is firming up here. Misrepresenting by the Voice, favoring certain posts over others….clearly discriminatory. Keep it coming, this is getting good.
@mvresident2003, I thought conservatives lamented our overly litigious society. Unfortunately, you don’t seem to have fully read the Terms of Use:
“we are the sole judge of whether the content you post meets these Terms of Use, and that we may edit, remove or lock content you post on mv-voice.com at our sole discretion for any reason, even if not specifically addressed in this Terms of Use.”
As much as you’d like to have some sort of conspiracy against you, the simple fact of the matter is that your divisive beliefs have been rejected by Mountain View as a whole, and you’re no longer in touch with the society you live in. Try meeting your neighbors and talking to them. You’ll be happier and less prone to lashing out.