Lupita, a young girl of 16 and Lompoc resident is one of the many beneficiaries of PHP programs whose funding is generated from events such as this weekend’s Vino de Suenos Release Celebration.
Lupita, whose family members are vineyard and farm workers here in the Santa Ynez family are the reason the Vino De Suenos event was established. This event raises funds to help vineyard and farm workers with basic family needs and development programs in times of economic stress.
Lupita is a teen that had never held a job other than helping her extended family harvesting in the fields. She lives with her brother, her legal guardian, and his family. Lupita has long felt the pressure to assist her family financially as tensions are high during these economic times, however, finding work for her been a challenge. She often feels alone as her mother currently lives a great distance away in Mexico. Although she does well in school the pressure to earn income led her to consider dropping out of school to find work and help her family financially.
Fortunately, Lupita’s school became aware of her situation and her counselor referred her to PHP and the “Youth Down to Business” (YD2B) program. Lupita entered the program and took advantage of the supportive services the program had to offer. One of Lipita’s goals, established through the program, was to gain employment experience. From the start, Lupita’s PHP Business Mentor saw she had great potential.
YD2B successfully placed Lupita in a PHP subsidized employment internship with a small local business owner. The YD2B program assisted Lupita with preparation of her resume, obtaining appropriate clothing for an interview and pre-interview preparation and practice. Lupita through her internship has now been offered potential permanent placement at the completion of her subsidized internship. The YD2B has supported her and assisted with obtaining specific training relevant to the position through the adult education center. Both Lupita and her Business Mentor have recognized that this opportunity would not have been possible without the existence of PHP and YD2B program in the community.
YD2B has successfully provided workforce preparation and career counseling services to over 300 youth in the Santa Ynez and Lompoc Valleys over the last eight years. YD2B assists youth with exploring career options and becoming work ready, assisting with resume creation, interview preparation, internship opportunities and job shadow experiences. The goal of the YD2B program is for participants to attain self-sufficiency and fulfill their greatest potential. YD2B is a mutually beneficial program which not only helps the business sector with needed skills during these difficult economic times, but also provides and opportunity for enabling youth to be skilled, resourceful and positive contributors to society.
For more information on this weekend’s Vino De Suenos event and to purchase tickets, visit www.vinodesuenos.com.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.