Almost 60 vendors including Tesla, other employers, community service organizations
“Entry-level jobs for the younger people and careers for the older people” – organizer Yvette Williams
By Allen D. Payton
The City of Antioch and Antioch Police Department in collaboration with Back on Track Community Services cordially invite you to take part in a Free Community Day Back to School Event, tomorrow, Saturday, August 6, 2022, at Contra Loma Estates Park from Noon to 5 p.m.
It will be a jobs and resource fair with booths by employers and community service organizations. Plus, the event will include live entertainment, carnival rides, food booths and gas card giveaways donated by the participating employers, community resource agencies and non-profit organizations.
According to the announcement about the event, “the City of Antioch and the Antioch Police Department are committed to investing in our most vulnerable citizens who are un-housed and underemployed. This Community Day event promote the ongoing efforts of revitalization of the Sycamore Corridor, and to additionally uplift the citizenry and increase civic pride.”
Concord-based Back On Track Community Services is a non-profit 501(c)(3) multi-service organization dedicated to improving the lives of women, men and children who are underserved and under-employed. Back on Track uses harm reduction, viable-reliable community resources and peer mentoring to assist community members achieve their financial, housing and educational goals for a fulfilling life.
According to Back on Track’s Yvette Williams, she was hired by the city’s Interim Police Chief Steve Ford to organize the event. But a flier promoting the event was posted on the City of Antioch Recreation Department’s Facebook page just four days ago, not yet on the police department’s page.
This event will host numerous employers and social service agencies promoting career opportunities and viable community resource programs to our East County Community and surrounding areas. It will be held outside and is open to all community members and their families.
“We have almost 60 vendors that will be there with any kind of community-based service you can think of, including housing, health, on-site COVID testing and take-home tests, an optometrist providing free vision screenings, free bags of groceries, free backpacks,” she shared. “Employers will include Tesla, CalTrans, Tri Delta Transit and San Francisco MTA bus service.”
“Entry-level jobs for the younger people and careers for the older people,” Williams added. “It’s for anyone including those returning from prison.”
The event will also feature the following Community Outreach Opportunities /Activities:
- Free Hot Lunch for all Vendors/Community Members
- Live Music & Entertainment
- Many Free Activities for Children
- First 200 Participant’s to receive Free Backpack-School supplies
- Employment Opportunities
- Free Vaccines for COVID-19/ FREE COVID-19 at home test kits.
- Free Daily Childcare/Preschool Sign up
- Returning Citizens Employment/Housing Services
- Face Painting Artist
- Balloon Twisting – Glitter Tattoos Artist
- Employment Opportunities
- Now Hiring/Community Resource Table
- Guest Speakers
- Giveaways Hourly for Participants
- Free Pony Rides
- Free Haircuts – Urban Barber College / The League XS
- Free Bags of Groceries – to the first 100 Community Members
- Food Bank
- Voter Registration
- Vouchers for Eye Exam/One Pair of Glasses
- Sign up for Snap – EBT Benefits
Source: Councilwoman Torres-Walker
In a post by District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker on her official Facebook page, she thanked the event’s partners and sponsors. They include The League XS Apprenticeship Academy of Cosmetology and Barbering, the only Antioch-based community partner; Richmond-based Safe Return Project, for which Torres-Walker is executive director, Mobility LABs Learning and Action Bets, a project of New York City-based Robinhood whose local affiliate is Richmond-based RCF Connects, Concord-based Monument Impact, Oakland-based Makin Moves Motorcycle Club (which also sponsored the recent Antioch Juneteenth event and whose founder Ronald Muhammad contributed $500 to Mayor Thorpe’s campaign committee to defeat the recall), Stockton-based Balance Staffing, Oakland-based Tradeswomen, Inc., Sonoma-based Nelson Connects which has offices in Pleasanton, Fairfield and Fremont, and San Rafael-based Bay Area Community Resources (BACR).
An invitation was sent out by Williams with the APD logo and city’s Sesquicentennial logo to employers and organizations for them to participate in the event. 2022 Antioch Community Day EventBrite -invitation to participate
Asked if the Antioch Chamber of Commerce was asked to send out an invitation to their members who are hiring and might want to participate, Williams said she didn’t. Williams, who said she’s been organizing events since 1999, also organized an Employment, Health & Wellness Resource Fair sponsored by the city held at the Somersville Towne Center last October which included some of the same sponsors as tomorrow’s event.
Torres-Walker was also asked if an invite was sent to the Antioch Chamber of Commerce to eblast out to their members who are hiring and might have wanted to participate. In addition, since it is believed she proposed the event, Torres-Walker was asked who is paying for it, which city department or if the community partners and employers are each paying to rent a booth. Finally, she was asked to provide any other details about the event.
In response, Torres-Walker wrote, “The idea for the community day came from a conversation with the new chief and how he wanted to build some positive relations with the community. I suggested that APD work with a few community groups to put on something fun for families with resources.”
“It is my understanding that this event is funded by APD, and the chief is in the lead. I was at the first initial meeting, but I have been pretty hands off unless someone asked for my assistance,” she continued. “It’s a free event so no one is being charged.”
“I think that Chief Ford is committed to community policing and wants to use this event to build relationships with the community,” Torres-Walker added.
Questions were also sent to Ford and the department’s two captains asking for the costs of the event.
Please check back later for any updates to this report.
