News Flash: Nominations for the Contra Costa Women's Hall of Fame are being accepted through October 31. More details can be found at the website of the Contra Costa Commission for Women.

It's easy to imagine Leslie Wood as a girl, escaping into a novel's alternate universe. She still carries a book with her and reads during lunch periods and breaks.

It's more difficult to imagine the young Leslie escaping into an alcoholic haze, because in the present day she is focused and determined. In the present day, Leslie is also very open about the harsh realities that she has had to confront in getting sober and taking on full responsibility for herself and her kids. It was that combination of determination and openness that allowed Leslie to take full advantage of the Opportunity Junction Job Training and Placement Program.

When Leslie arrived here, she had already faced some very harsh realities - jail time and loss of custody of her two oldest sons. Having gotten herself clean and sober, she found learning the Microsoft Office Suite to be, in a word, easy. "Computer Skills was easy because of the teacher, plus I had a little experience teaching myself," Leslie explained. "It was hard work, but easy to learn." Leslie also valued the Life Skills component of the program, which was "essential and very well done."

Because of her exceptional computer skills and communication skills, Leslie had been asked to assist with teaching the next trainee class during her internship. But she turned out to be one of the first of her class to leave with a job.

About how she feels as she leaves with a position as an office manager, Leslie says, "Awesome."

About how she feels about the Job Training and Placement Program: "I'm happy every day to get up and do what I'm doing. I would recommend it to anybody, especially those at a crossroads." Or a junction, we might add.

New Grant Challenges Opportunity Junction to Increase Individual Giving

Antioch, California, 9/27/2007, 10:30 am: We have just been awarded a matching grant from the Anonymous Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation that is designed to challenge us to increase individual donations and major gifts.

All individual donations will be matched to the extent that they exceed the individual's FY2006-07 donation. A new donor who contributes $5 will actually net us $10. A donor who contributed $100 last year and who increases their donation to $200 will have that increase matched, for a total impact of $300.

The grant will match a maximum of $25,000 of increased donations, but the money goes away if we don't recruit the additional donations by June 30, 2008. "We don't want to leave any of this money on the table," says Alissa Friedman, Executive Director. "This truly magnifies the impact of our individual donors, and we'll be reaching out to them throughout the year."

"We've seen a lot of support from the community in so many ways," adds Jesse Golden, Director of Development. "We believe that our community can meet this challenge and help us build capacity for the future."

New Funding, Realignment Open Up Jobs at the Junction

The Anonymous Fund grant (previous story) has also provided us with seed funding to restore the position of Program Manager of the Job Training and Placement Program. The position was eliminated almost four years ago, and Executive Director Alissa Friedman has been serving as Program Manager ever since. This new hire will enable Friedman to put more focus on long-term sustainability, replication, and planning. Are you interested in joining a team that makes lasting change in the lives of participants and their children? Click here for the craigslist posting.

Meanwhile, we are hiring a part-time Computer Skills Trainer to handle some of the duties that were assigned to the departing Nathan Clark (story below, "Trading Places"). Although Brianna Burkman will be teaching the new trainees on an interim basis, her primary duties will be as Project Manager in charge of the DataWorks interns. Candidates for the Computer Skills Trainer position must be capable of qualifying for a Vocational Education credential through our partner, the Pittsburg Adult Education Center. Click here for the craigslist posting.

Opportunity Junction wins Craigslist Boot Camp Reality Grantmaking Competition

Our palms were sweaty, our grins nervous; there we were on August 18, among the finalists chosen from 44 entries to compete at the Craigslist "Reality Grantmaking" session at Craigslist Boot Camp for Non-Profits. In this two-hour event, a panel of three Bay Area grantmakers share their thought process in rating the finalists, and the grant request receiving the highest number of points is awarded $1000 for their project. This popular event is attended by dozens of non-profit fundraisers, hoping to get insight into the decision-making process (and the money doesn't hurt, either!).

We got the call early in the week from the moderator, trainer and author Susan Fox: we were accepted as finalists; would we be there for the event? (Um, yes.) So on a sunny Saturday, Executive Director Alissa Friedman and Development Director Jesse Golden sat in a gloomy theater at UC Berkeley, wondering if our request for software to allow our interns to practice for the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) test could really prevail over the seven other worthy finalists. Would our proposal be chosen over the literacy project in Africa, public education on air pollution in Bayview Hunters Point and West Oakland, or the training of community mediators for the East Bay? How about funding for a dance project for low-income children in San Francisco, or vital equipment to treat children with birth defects in China, theater for children in Tuolumne County, or family communication for families with deaf children?

Panelists Lorne Needle of the United Way of the Bay Area, Christopher Herrera of the Tides Foundation, and Anne Valley of The James Irvine Foundation rated the grant requests and shared their decision-making processes with the audience. (Hints: be sure to explain why granting your request will make a significant impact!). When our turn came, Lorne acknowledged that United Way is already a funder of Opportunity Junction and thinks very well of our work. Judges also mentioned that our request clearly articulated why the opportunity to practice for the Microsoft Office Specialist is important for the career success of our interns, as well as the significance of our Job Training and Placement Program overall in fighting poverty by helping low-income Contra Costa residents gain the skills and confidence to support themselves and their families. Our proposal did receive the highest rating - 13 points out of a possible 15 - and so we are very happy to announce that we soon will have MOS Practice tests available for our interns and users of our Technology Center!

Record-Breaking 83 Candidates Begin Application Process in September

A record-breaking 83 candidates began the process of applying to our Job Training and Placement Program in September, putting us to some hard choices in selecting the members of Class 24.

As usual, a large percentage of those who started the application process were disqualified along the way: 23 failed to complete the process (missing their interview or reading assessment and failing to reschedule), and 12 failed to score at the 7th grade level on the reading assessment. Also as usual, only a subset of those who were eligible for the program had goals that the program can meet, had a need for the services offered, and had the attitude necessary to take advantage of the program.

Still, there were enough qualified candidates to put the staff to some hard choices in bringing the acceptance list down to 20. We wish to express our gratitude to all those who referred candidates and offer up special thanks to the Contra Costa Employment and Human Services Department.

Meanwhile, we will be incorporating survey results from these applicants into the data we are collecting to explore the possible expansion of our services. "If we can put together the funding to address community needs through the expansion of our current programs or introduction of new programs," explains Alissa Friedman, Executive Director, "then we want to do that. We would like to see every Contra Costa resident get on the road to self-sufficiency."

What would you get if you crossed Dream Girls with Jersey Boys? You might get our program alumni, determined to realize their dreams. Or you might get a fabulous party, the Function for the Junction, building on the success of our inaugural gala this past April.

Function for the Junction, presented by Chevron and Opportunity Junction, will once again combine gourmet dining (caterer Culinary Excellence) and dancing (in keeping with the theme, emphasizing Motown and the Four Seasons) with auctions and a short, moving program. The event will be held May 3, 2008 at the Shadelands Civic Arts Center in Walnut Creek.

Sponsorships are available now and can be reserved using our sponsorship invitation form. For those organizations that would prefer to pay using American Express or Discover, rather than Mastercard or VISA, payment may be made online through PayPal using the Make a Donation button on our Donation page. (Just write PayPal on the Sponsorship form, so that we know to match the payment up with the sponsorship.)

Although we love to know about our sponsorships well in advance and want to make sure our materials are available for use during the budgeting cycle, we appreciate sponsorships whenever they arrive. In fact, we owe a special thank you to Pacific Gas & Electric, whose sponsorship of the April 2007 Gala arrived too late for us to thank them in our Diablo Magazine Ad or other materials!

So, thanks to our 2008 Presenting Sponsor, Chevron, to our 2007 Gala sponsors including PG&E, and to all of you who support our work in so many different ways.

"Brianna has been a volunteer with our organization for a year, teaching Business Math and English to our new trainees," explains Alissa Friedman, Executive Director, "and the trainees loved her!" Friedman had also overheard the lessons from her nearby office, and she was impressed. "I was thrilled to find out she was interested in expanding her role," Friedman continues. "I knew she would be a great fit."

When Burkman and her husband moved to the East Bay from Richmond, Virginia, Burkman immediately began looking for a community organization to which to contribute. "I've always wanted to be part of an organization that contributed to and filled a need in society. My volunteer experience showed me what a great place Opportunity Junction is and what great things they do for the community," shares Burkman.

Burkman began work on August 28, allowing a three day overlap to work with previous Project Manager, Nathan Clark. Sadly for Opportunity Junction, Nathan found a position as a Programmer for the University of California at Berkeley. "Nathan's wit and expertise will be missed," admits current intern Maria Rigazio, "but Brianna is a great teacher and has transitioned into her new position seamlessly. I look forward to continuing to work with and learn from her."

Meanwhile, even as we lose one volunteer, we are gaining another. Before accepting his new position at Berkeley, Clark negotiated the flexibility to join us one day every other week to work on our technology infrastructure!

Computer Basics Series Begins: A new cycle of Computer Basics Classes begins on September 27th at 7:30 pm. Starting with Windows Basics and progressing through Word and PowerPoint, the classes are free and open to the public. Please arrive at least 20 minutes early on the first night to fill out necessary paperwork.

Alumni Picnic: Alumni, participants, their families, volunteers, and supporters are invited for a barbecue, games, raffle drawing, and small animal show on Saturday, September 29th, from noon to 3 pm at Buchanan Park in Pittsburg.

Pathways to Opportunity: Alumni are also encouraged to apply to participate in Pathways to Opportunity, the Wardrobe for Opportunity post-employment career skills seminar series. Application forms are due October 9th, and the series begins on October 13th. This series will be held at Opportunity Junction on Saturdays, making it particularly accessible to East County working mothers.

Volunteer Orientation, English Tutor Program: Looking for a volunteer opportunity? You're invited to an orientation for those interested in tutoring adult English language learners in our evening program. The orientation will be held here on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 from 6-8 p.m. RSVP to Jesse Golden at (925) 776-1133.

Volunteer Orientation, Mentor Program: Come to an orientation for potential mentors, who provide a role model for occupational and personal success to our training participants. The orientation will be held here on Thursday, October 11, 2007 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. RSVP to Michelle Stewart at (925) 776-1133.

• Wrist rests;
• Folding chairs in good condition;
• Personal printer;
• Palm Pilot;
• Digital camera (at least 4 megapixels);
• Video camera;
• 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; and
• Utility shelves.

You're staring at your screen, wondering why the computer seems to be stuck, and perhaps considering trading it in for an Etch A Sketch so that you can just hold it over your head and shake it when it misbehaves. But wait! Even for the least technical of us, there are some things you can do before you call the software company, or your technical friend who's always too busy to answer your question.

A recent article by Brian Satterfield at www.techsoup.org provides eleven tips for troubleshooting software:

1. Free up RAM by closing other open programs.
Every piece of software that's installed on your machine needs Random Access Memory (RAM) in order to run. The more software that's running on your computer at once, the more RAM it will consume. So if a certain program refuses to load or is running sluggishly, the first step you should take is to close all other open applications. This can be especially important if you use an older machine that doesn't have a large amount of RAM.

2. Restart the software.
If you've closed all applications that are running on your computer and the software still runs slowly, crashes, or returns error messages, try shutting down the problematic program and immediately restarting it. Sometimes, software problems stem from a conflict with other programs or simply encounter difficulties starting up, so restarting the software can often resolve these issues.

3. Shut down and restart your computer.
Sometimes, a glitch in your computer's operating system or a hardware mishap can cause software problems. If restarting the actual application doesn't resolve the issue, try rebooting your computer. Once the computer has fully restarted, re-launch the application in question and see if the problem has resolved itself. Incidentally, tech support people almost always have you do this, so you might as well do it before you make the call.

4. Use the Internet to find help.
No matter what piece of software is misbehaving or what specific problems you encounter, chances are, it's happened to someone else. And as long as you're not having issues with a custom-built piece of software, there's a good chance that you can find help on the Internet. When conducting online troubleshooting research using Google or your search engine of choice, include the most important information, such as the software program's name, the type of problem you've encountered, and the circumstances under which it occurs. Also, most major software manufacturers provide at least some form of product-specific help on their official sites, such as a list of frequently asked questions, product documentation, or discussion forums where users can swap tips.

5. Undo any recent hardware or software changes.
As mentioned, some software problems arise from conflicts with other software, from changes in setting, or from new or improperly configured hardware, such as scanners or printers. Try undoing any recent changes, including un-installing new software or hardware. Does someone else use your computer? Ask them if they've made any changes, or downloaded anything new.

For the full text, or for tips number six through eleven, check out the complete article at www.techsoup.org.

Since our last newsletter, we were grateful to receive significant support from the following partners:

United Way of the Bay Area: To support the Job Training and Placement Program, as part of the UWBA's work to ensure that low-wage families are able to meet basic needs and climb the economic ladder.

California Consumer Protection Foundation: To support our Expansion Project - researching possible new programs for need and viability - and Replication Project - documenting our current program and gathering the necessary resources so that it can be replicated by others.

Keller Canyon Mitigation Fund: To support the Job Training and Placement Program, in order to improve the well-being of residents of Contra Costa Supervisory District 5 (Hon. Federal Glover, Supervisor).

Soroptimists International of Pittsburg Service Fund: To support a Job Training and Placement Program participant during the training phase of the program.

Dow Community Advisory Panel: To purchase Adobe Acrobat 8.0 for all desktops as part of our Preparing Learners for the Paperless Office Project.

Stanford Alumni Consulting Team: To consult with us on how to increase the impact of our Job Training and Placement Program through expansion into other fields of training or replication of our existing program.

Opportunity Junction wishes to acknowledges all of 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
• Eichleay Engineering
• La Tapatia Mexican Restaurant
• Office of Supervisor Federal Glover
• Springboard Advisors
• USS Posco Industries

The Friends of Opportunity Junction are an energetic, talented group of women dedicated to supporting Opportunity Junction's work in the community. We are thrilled with their efforts to publicize our work, help with special events and donor development, and support the staff in innumerable ways. They are: Anne Launt, Beth Bissell, Betty Stokes, Denise Silicani, Frances Wallace, Helen Loewenstein, Jan Monteyne, Jane Collett, Judy Johnson, Jules Campbell, Karla Massie, Kathy Burke, Kathy Leahy, Mary Ann Shattuck, Mary Jane Arnold, Mary Jane Hargrove, Maureen Wilhelm, Norma Evans, Pam Elliott, Pamela Halloran, Sarah Morrill, Sue George, and Sue Kidd.

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. Staff emails are all in the form firstname AT opportunityjunction DOT org. 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 Director of Mental Health Kate M. Novotny, Ph.D.;
• DataWorks business services, contact Project Manager Brianna Burkman;
• Communications and donations, contact Executive Director Alissa Friedman; or
• Accounting and human resources, contact Accountant Pam Elliott.

• Keith Archuleta, Founding Partner, Emerald Consulting
• 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
• 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
• Ashoo Vaid, District Manager, Wells Fargo Bank

The Opportunity Junction Advisory Board

The Advisory Board consists of community members who provide valuable advice and other assistance in support of our mission to fight poverty by helping low-income Contra Costa residents gain the competence and confidence to support themselves and their families. They are:

• Iris Archuleta, Transitional Management Consultant, Emerald Consulting
• Philip Arndt, Franchising & Government Affairs Manager, Comcast Cable Communications, Inc.
• Robert Beck, Principal, Pittsburg Adult Education Center
• Sharon Beswick, Principal, Antioch Area Community Fund
• The Honorable Susan Bonilla, County Supervisor, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
• Timothy Carlisle, Senior Network Analyst, Contra Costa County Department of Information Technology
• Jennie Carpenter, Program Officer, United Way of the Bay Area
• George Carter, Business Services Representative, Contra Costa County Workforce Development Board
• Debrah Cook, Community Engagement Specialist, Chevron Corporation
• The Honorable Mark Desaulnier, Assemblymember, California State Assembly
• Aimee Durfee, Program Officer, United Way of the Bay Area
• Lester Ellis, Founder, 1200 Foundation
• The Honorable Federal Glover, County Supervisor, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
• Maria Gomez-Felix, President, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• Jim Jakel, City Manager, City of Antioch
• Mark Kehoe, Director of Environmental and Safety Programs, GWF Power Systems
• Devi Lanphere, President/CEO, Antioch Chamber of Commerce
• Danae Lui, Dow Chemical
• James Miner, Law Student, Golden Gate University
• Meryl Natchez, CEO, TechProse
• Juan Francisco Prieto, Family Development Specialist, California Human Development Corporation
• The Honorable Kevin Romick, Mayor, City of Oakley
• Timothy Silva, Community Development Manager, Wells Fargo Bank
• The Honorable Arne Simonsen, Council Member, City of Antioch
• The Honorable Tom Torlakson, State Senator, California State Senate
• René Tucker, Employer Liaison, EASTBAYWorks - Brentwood
• Carole Watson, Chief Investment Officer, Self-Sufficiency, United Way of the Bay Area
• Ronald Wetter, Community & Government Relations Manager, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
• Alma Williams, Staff Specialist, Kaiser Permanente

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Newsletter Contributors: Alissa Friedman, Jesse Golden, and Brianna Burkman