SACRAMENTO – The California Employment Development Department (EDD) and the Labor & Workforce Development Agency announced today they have awarded $10 million to 42 Local Workforce Development Areas (Local Area). This is the result of initiatives Governor Gavin Newsom announced earlier this month to support California’s workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each of these Local Areas have a unique plan to assist their communities with these funds, and they will use the emergency funds to provide supportive services to underserved populations, particularly participants in the English Language Learners (ELL) and ELL Navigator programs. The additional assistance funds will provide up to $800 per person for basic needs such as childcare, housing and utility assistance, and transportation costs. In addition, funding assistance for equipment needed for teleworking along with digital services for Wi-Fi access may be available for workers in some areas.
“The immense impact of COVID-19 has put an incredible financial strain on the lives of many Californians,” said EDD Director Sharon Hilliard. “It is our hope that this funding, along with other ongoing efforts, will help provide some relief to Californians who need it as quickly as possible.”
Funding was provided in accordance with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and administered by the EDD and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
Tulare County
Through its network of partnerships, Tulare County will be able to reach out to individuals to provide support where other safety net programs are unable to meet the need. These funds will help provide support to get them through the crisis. Tulare County has many participants who were on a path to self-sufficiency until the pandemic derailed their progress.
“The Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County is committed to helping our community recover from this health and economic crisis,” said Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County Executive Director Adam Peck. “We will use this investment to provide rent and utility assistance for individuals impacted by COVID-19, and help stabilize their lives until they can return to work.”
San Francisco County
The San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development intends to provide individuals with emergency supportive services through their existing network of Neighborhood Access Points and Hospitality Initiative service providers.
“Like cities and counties across the state, San Francisco’s workforce, in particular the workers in our most underserved communities, are reeling from the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic,” said San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development Director Joshua Arce. “As unemployment grows, these vital resources will allow us to temporarily stabilize the dislocated workers in some of our hardest hit industries until they can get back on their feet.”
Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Workforce Development, Aging & Community Services (WDACS) will launch a Worker Resiliency Fund to help those job seekers most heavily impacted by the global pandemic.
“In partnership with the state and trusted, community-based organizations, we intend to provide outreach to the English language learner communities in the Los Angeles area,” said WDACS Acting Dierctor, Otto Solorzano. “By providing them with essential supportive services such as food and shelter, we hope to ease some of the hardships these individuals are facing.”
Please refer to the table below for the organization’s contact information to learn more about the specific supportive services available with these funds.
2020 COVID-19 Funds for Supportive Services
| Local Workforce Development Area | Contact | Award Amount |
| Alameda County Workforce Development Board | Patti Castro, Executive Director
(510) 259-3843 |
$153,000 |
| City of Anaheim Workforce Development Division | Mike Lyster, Chief Communications Officer (714) 765-4497 |
$450,000 |
| Workforce Development Board of Contra Costa County | Donna Van Wert, Executive Director (925) 671-4514 |
$108,000
|
| Foothill Workforce Development Board | Dianne Russell-Carter, Executive Director (626) 584-8395 |
$450,000
|
| Fresno Area Workforce Development Corporation | Blake Konczal, Executive Director (559) 960-1282 |
$315,000
|
| Golden Sierra Job Training Agency | Jason Buckingham, Executive Director (916) 773-8542 |
$45,000
|
| Humboldt County Workforce Development Board | Cara Sue Owings , Deputy Branch Director (707) 954-2307 |
$126,000
|
| Imperial County Workforce Development Office | Linsey J. Dale, Public Information Officer (442) 265-1018 | $72,000
|
| Kern/Inyo/Mono Consortium
|
Teresa Hitchcock, Assistant County Administrator Officer
(661) 304-0058 |
$252,000
|
| City of Long Beach
Pacific Gateway Workforce Innovation Network |
Erick Serrato, Assistant Director (562) 570-3702 |
$270,000
|
| City of Los Angeles
Economic & Workforce Development Department |
Mayor’s Eric Garcetti’s Communications Office (213) 978-0741 |
$810,000
|
| Los Angeles County Workforce Development, Aging & Community Services | Michael Kapp, Director of Public Affairs (213) 706-8140
|
$810,000
|
| Madera County Workforce Investment Corporation
|
Tracie Scott-Contreras, Executive Director (559) 662-4587
|
$27,000
|
| Merced County Workforce Development Board
|
David Mirrione, Assistant County Executive Officer, Merced County Director (209) 385-7515 |
$99,000
|
| Monterey County Workforce Development Board | Christopher Donnelly, Executive Director (831) 759-6644 |
$90,000
|
| Mother Lode Consortium
|
Amy Torres, Operations Manager
(209) 536-4701 |
$135,000
|
| Northern Rural Training Employment Consortium | Michael Cross, Executive Director (530) 892-9600 Ext. 204 |
$153,000
|
| North Central Counties Consortium | Cindy Newton, Executive Director (530) 751-8202 |
$63,000
|
| NOVA Workforce Board
|
Kris Stadelman, Director
(408) 730-7233 |
$180,000
|
| Economic and Workforce Development Community and Economic Development Agency | Harry Hamilton, Marketing Coordinator
510-238-6766
|
$126,000
|
| Orange County Development Board | Mechelle Haines, Public Information Officer
(714) 480-2941 |
$900,000
|
| City of Richmond Employment and Training | Sal Vaca, Director of Community Services
(510) 307-8006 |
$162,000
|
| Riverside County Economic Development Agency | Brooke Federico, Public Information Officer
(951) 743-0075 |
$252,000
|
| Sacramento Employment and Training Agency
|
Terri Carpenter, Workforce Development Manager
(916) 263-7891 |
$90,000
|
| San Benito County Workforce Development Board
|
Enrique Arreola, Deputy Director
(831) 634-4918
|
$54,000
|
| San Bernardino County Workforce Development Board | Phil Cothran, Workforce Board Chair
(909) 822-3545
|
$315,000
|
| San Diego Workforce Partnership, Inc. | Andrew Picard, Chief Programs Officer
(619) 228-2929 |
$315,000
|
| San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development | Gloria Chan, Director of Communications (415) 554-6926
|
$675,000
|
| Employment and Economic Development Department San Joaquin County |
John M. Solis, Executive Director (209) 601-1249
|
$252,000
|
| San Jose Silicon Valley – work2future | Elisabeth Handler, Public Information Officer
(408) 535-8168 |
$45,000
|
| San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services
|
Dawn Boulanger, Workforce Development Board Director
(805) 781-1835 |
$10,080
|
| Santa Ana Workforce Development Board
|
Paul Eakins, Public Affairs Information Officer
(714) 647-5224 |
$360,000
|
| Santa Barbara County
|
Luis Servin, Workforce Program Manager (805) 896-6835 | $135,000
|
| Sonoma County Workforce Development Board | Katie Greaves, Director
(707) 565-8501 |
$270,000
|
| South Bay Workforce Development Board | Jan Vogel, Director (310) 970-7700 |
$40,500
|
| SELACO Workforce Development Board | Sandra Michel, Director, Policy and Compliance
(562) 484-5046 |
$252,000
|
| Stanislaus County Department of Workforce Development | Doris Foster, Director
(209) 652-2458 |
$171,000
|
| Workforce Development Board of Tulare County | Nicola Wissler, Business Resource Specialist
(559) 713-5208 |
$180,000
|
| Workforce Development Board of Ventura County | Rebecca Evans, Executive Director
(805) 758-8411 |
$450,000
|
| Verdugo Consortium
|
Judith Velasco, Executive Director (818) 937-8031 |
$90,000
|
| Workforce Alliance of North Bay | Laura Davis, Operations Officer
(707) 699-1952 |
$54,000
|
| Yolo County Health and Human Services Agency | Jenny Tan, Public Information Officer
(530) 666-8042 |
$270,000
|
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