Mildred Ervin was a success story before she ever reached Opportunity Junction. She had a trade, working as a press operator and in pre-press, designing wine labels, for a total of 28 years. She saved her money, bought a house, and raised three kids as a single mother.

One month after her youngest daughter's 18th birthday, in March 2006, the plant closed down. Like many smaller presses, they were put out of business by larger operations based in markets with lower labor costs.

"I had never been out of work in my life," Mildred tells. "I didn't know how to create a resume or a cover letter. And I had to learn a new trade."

Mildred applied to Opportunity Junction almost immediately, after learning of the Job Training program through an article in the Antioch Press. Because of her stellar work history, however, she was not accepted to the May 2006 class.

Hard times followed. Her 18-year-old missed the Senior Prom, because Mildred could not afford the expense. "That broke my heart," she recalls. Mildred also found herself falling behind on the bills, including the mortgage.

But Mildred is nothing if not persistent. "All the jobs I saw wanted a knowledge of Microsoft Office - Excel and Access - and I had only worked on a Macintosh doing graphics. I really needed what Opportunity Junction was offering." She applied again and was accepted to the September 2006 class.

While in the program, Mildred often worked through breaks and lunch, and sometimes after hours, because she did not have a computer at home. "I could have spent the whole day just working on the computer skills," she says.

"Everybody was so helpful," she says of her time in the program. "I appreciated the guest speakers telling you what they were looking for. And I really appreciated the volunteers who taught Business English and Business Math - that really helped with the assessment tests that employers have you do."

Mildred left her internship this month for a position with an aviation security firm. Although she is not earning as much as she once did in the printing business, she plans to advance in her new career. "Once I learn all of the jobs on the ground and get certified, I'm going to apply for positions in research."

Meanwhile, she plans to use this year's tax refund to get current on her mortgage, and she is looking forward to 2007 being a much better year than 2006.

Dear Opportunity Junction Community,

When I think back on the past year, the thing that feels different to me is this: not only can we celebrate the accomplishments of our programs - looking backwards - but we can begin planning for ways to increase our impact - looking to the future. With a new name, new computers, a rejuvenated Board of Directors, and an upcoming Gala Fundraiser that has already received tremendous sponsorship support from the corporate community, the pieces are falling into place. Our time frame has shifted from the next six months to the next five years, and that feels great.

When I took over as Executive Director, one of my great disappointments was that I didn't seem to have enough time to think: to think about poverty and the best ways to eliminate it; to think about our organization and the best ways to grow it. We had government contracts that were ending, and it was all we could do to preserve the integrity of our programs and sustain daily operations. I was still learning the job of Executive Director and found myself taking on our grant-writing and job training program management as well. There was time for little else.

Angels came to our rescue. Board members pitched in, coming up with creative ways to increase our revenues (partnerships, events). The Friends of OPTIC (as they were known at the time) came together to help us build our individual donations and support our events. Volunteers provided valuable training and consulting. Alumni brainstormed fundraising ideas. Staff members demonstrated incredible flexibility and resilience in taking on additional responsibilities following layoffs. We were blessed.

And now we look forward. But not without thanking all of you for your part in making 2006 the phenomenal year it was. By the numbers:

• 24 placements directly from job training internships into positions earning an average of $14.25 an hour (biased a little by some excellent placements - median starting wage of $12.00 an hour);
• 399 learners accessing computers, improving their English and learning Computer Basics at our evening Technology Center during our last fiscal year; and
• 418 low-income working families receiving tax assistance to help them start building a financial future.

Please check out our listings of donors, funders, volunteers, Board Members, and Hiring Partners further on in this newsletter. Opportunity Junction is a community operation, and we can all share in the joy of the families using our services who themselves are now able to turn to the future.

Tears came to the eyes of one single mother when she learned the size of her refund: now she would be able to have the surgery she desperately needed. Another single working mother wanted to see whether her refund might be able to start on her long-time goal of buying a house of her own. They were just two of the taxpayers who came to Opportunity Junction this past Saturday to participate in Earn It! Keep It! Save It!, the Bay Area's largest FREE tax assistance program. Led by the United Way of the Bay Area, the coalition provides free tax assistance, financial literacy information, and asset-building resources to low-income families.

"We opened up early," says Program Manager René Tucker, "because we want to make sure our alumni and other low-income families don't waste their money by going to the professional tax preparation firms. Those instant loans are really very expensive, and we want the families we serve to be able to put as much money as possible toward savings and other assets."

Free tax assistance is available to families earning no more than $38,348 and to our own job training alumni regardless of income.

The Opportunity Junction site is open on Saturdays through April 14th. Appointments are required and can be obtained by calling 925-776-1133 and asking for Reina De La Rosa, the Site Coordinator. For appointments in other Bay Area locations, call 1-800-358-8832 or go to www.EarnItKeepItSaveIt.org.

If you enjoy gourmet food, big band dancing, and supporting Opportunity Junction (of course you do), there are still plenty of ways to get involved with our Gala Fundraiser on April 21, 2007.

You can join our esteemed sponsors, including presenting sponsor Chevron as well as The Mechanics Bank, Dow Chemical, Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 159, GWF Power Systems, US Bank, Mirant California, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA-IBEW), Comcast, Kaiser Permanente, USS-POSCO, Citibank, J. Stokes and Associates, Criterion Catalyst and ConocoPhillips. Our sponsorship form is online.

You can contribute an auction item, like Dreyer's (use of their bus for a day), Moraga Country Club (a golf foursome), Hafner Vineyards (wine), or Berry's Pastry Shop (gift certificates). We expect to have everything from a day's trip to the wine country to a football autographed by Jerry Rice, plus lots of items for people who like to eat, travel or play golf. You can use our online auction item donation form to let us know if you have an item to donate.

And, of course, we'd love you to save the date and join us that evening, if you can. If you want to be sure that you receive a paper invitation - that we have your correct snail mail address and have you on the list - you can contact the intern serving as Executive Assistant to Alissa Friedman (currently Eti Tuatagaloa-Levi), at 925-776-1133.

"Why are we trying to recruit during the week before Christmas?" was a question batted around The Junction last month. With low-income parents feverishly trying to make holiday arrangements - some of them having found temporary retail employment for the first time all year - late December seemed like the worst time of the year to ask parents to juggle another commitment.

Staff took a long, hard look at the Job Training and Placement Program calendar earlier this month and decided to shift the schedule back by four weeks. Take applications from parents in September, when school has started, rather than in August, when they are still juggling back-to-school preparations. Take applications again in January, when New Year's resolutions are fresh and children are back in school. The new schedule will go into effect with Class 24, and we are eager to see the impact on recruitment. Click here for the full schedule through Class 26.

• Our Class 21 Graduation Ceremony (featuring the unveiling of our new name) on CCTV, Comcast Channel 27, at 9:00 pm on February 12, 2007 or 9:00 pm on February 27, 2007.
• Answering when Opportunity Knocks, by Harry Stoll, Antioch Press, December 9, 2006.
• New Name for OPTIC in the East Bay Business Times, November 20, 2006.
• What's in a Name? in the newsletter of the Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco, January 2007.
• New Name for Contra Costa Non-Profit in the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce Newsletter.

• Palm Pilot;
• Digital camera (at least 4 megapixels);
• Licenses you don't need for Windows XP or Windows 2000 and Office 2000 or Office 2003, for our Computers for the Community program (sending computers home with our alumni and participants);
• Computers (minimum Pentium III, 256 MB, 20 GB hard drive, 1 GHz);
• DVD player;
• Utility shelves;
• Small 2-drawer file cabinets; and
• 24" wide bookcase.

Opportunity Junction gratefully acknowledges its corporate, foundation and government funders, sponsors, and in-kind providers:

Opportunity Junction Hiring Partners help us place Job Training and Placement participants into good jobs with opportunities for advancement. To join them, fill out our very simple Memorandum of Understanding. Many thanks to Opportunity Junction Hiring Partners:

• Ascot Staffing
• Contra Costa Child Care Council
• CASA of Contra Costa County
• Contra Costa Council
• Contra Costa County Superior Court
• Office of Supervisor Federal Glover
• Springboard Advisors
• USS Posco Industries

We are tremendously grateful to the individuals who have helped low-income families reach self-sufficiency by supporting Opportunity Junction's programs this year with personal contributions.

Our 2006 volunteers include trainers, tutors, mentors, tax assistants, guest speakers, consultants, pro bono counsel, event staff, and the Friends of Opportunity Junction (who publicize our work, help with special events, and assist in donor development). We are grateful to all of them for making our work possible, and we are particularly proud of the job training alumni among them who are giving back to the organization. Please contact Jesse at (925) 776-1133 if you would like to join them!

If you share our vision, we'll find a way to help you get involved - whatever your schedule, whatever your resources. You can:

• Volunteer with the day or evening program. We have positions for mentors, tutors, mock interviewers, and much more.
• Employ an Opportunity Junction graduate. Our candidates are proficient, experienced and motivated.
• Hire DataWorks. From database management to mailings, we're fast, reliable and cost-effective.
• Give. Your tax-deductible contribution will change a life.

We welcome your feedback and involvement in our program. You can reach any of us by telephone at (925) 776-1133. For inquiries about:

• Job Training and Placement Program, contact Program Coordinator Natalie Georgia;
• Employment opportunities for alumni, contact Case Manager and Career Counselor Michelle Stewart;
• Evening Technology Center, contact Director of Development and Adult Education Jesse Golden;
• Integrated mental health services, contact Mental Health Clinician Catherine Warren;
• DataWorks business services, contact Project Manager Nathan Clark;
• Communications and donations, contact Executive Director Alissa Friedman; or
• Accounting and human resources, contact Accountant Pam Elliott.

• Keith Archuleta, Founding Partner, Emerald Consulting
• Robert Beck, Principal, Pittsburg Adult Education Center
• Linda Best, Executive Director, Contra Costa Council
• George Birdsong, President, Springboard Advisors
• Janet Brown, Housing Specialist, Center for Independent Living
• Sandy Bustillo, Division Manager for Welfare to Work and Employment Placement Services, Contra Costa County Workforce Services
• Val Davis, Vice Chair, Delta 2000
• Sue George, Chair, Friends of Opportunity Junction
• Mary Jane Hargrove, Consultant, Accounting and Bookkeeping
• Rick Kaiser, CPA, CFP, Temen, Kaiser & Cameron CPAs, LLC
• Joe Mathai, Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank
• Nancy Parent, Councilmember, City of Pittsburg
• Ricardo M. Perez, D.D.S., Owner, Cosmetic Dental Spa
• Jayne Sanford, Area Manager, Mechanics Bank
• Tonya Smith, Assistant, Office of Supervisor Federal Glover

The Opportunity Junction Advisory Board

We are in the process of designing an Advisory Board to help advise the organization as we grow. Currently, the following former members of the Board of Directors have agreed to serve:

• Timothy Carlisle, Senior Network Analyst, Contra Costa Dept. of Information Technology
• Jim Jakel, City Manager, City of Antioch
• Diana McDonald, Retired Educator
• James Miner, Law Student, Golden Gate University
• Juan Prieto, Family Development Specialist, California Human Development Corporation
• Alma Williams, Staff Specialist, Kaiser Permanente

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Newsletter Contributors: Alissa Friedman