BSP: Strengthening Our Capacity and Programs

October 2014 Newsletter

"It's a great pleasure to serve as Chair of BSP's Board of Directors and to be part of a unique collaboration in which labor and management share a common goal towards integrating immigrant janitors at the workplace and in the community. BSP has demonstrated that by working jointly with both labor and management, workforce development and immigrant integration initiatives can be addressed in a win-win partnership.

Over the past five years, more than 5,000 janitors and other workers have participated in BSP's programming offered throughout California. BSP's Board is committed to continuing to invest in this workforce and to strengthening its capacity to reach more workers. We hope that as you read this newsletter, you will be just as excited about BSP's growth and expansion as I am."

Victor Narro,

Board Chair, BSP
Project Director, UCLA Labor Center

Responsible Growth through Strategic Planning

In 2014, BSP embarked on the development of a five-year strategic plan. In consultation with our Board of Directors, we designed a framework of key questions to be answered as we move forward. Our objectives for a strategic plan were clear: to set our statewide priorities, to guide us in investing energy and resources, to help strengthen operations and training, and to ensure all stakeholders that we are working towards common goals.

We aim for the strategic plan to serve as a guide during this time of growth and as a document that articulates our objectives and the action steps we will take in the next five years. BSP is currently finalizing this strategic plan and will distribute it to our partners in the fall of 2014.

Hot Off The Press!


BSP Awarded James Irvine Leadership Award Impact Fund Grant The James Irvine Foundation has awarded BSP a two-year $200,000 Impact Fund grant. This grant will support BSP's efforts to increase the number of workers reached through program expansion in Orange County, San Diego and Sacramento.	AmeriCorps VISTA Supports Expansion The Corporation for National and Community Service - AmeriCorps VISTA has awarded BSP a continuation grant. Through this grant, BSP will be able to expand programming to Sacramento, Mountain View and San Diego by placing VISTA members in these regions.

First in the Nation
Green Janitor Education Program

BSP wrapped up the pilot stage of its Green Janitor Education Program, an environmental education program for janitors which addresses energy management and green cleaning practices of commercial buildings in California. The Green Janitor Education Program was designed in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council - Los Angeles chapter (USGBC-LA), the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater Los Angeles (BOMA-GLA), industry experts, building owners, and the janitors' union (SEIU-United Service Workers West). Over 100 janitorial workers throughout Los Angeles took part in the pilot program and received certifications from USGBC-LA.

Partners and participants are currently being surveyed to assess the impact of the pilot program and make necessary improvements to better fit the needs of the industry. BSP and its partners plan to expand the Green Janitor Education program to other cities across California and include other properties in the formal program launch in early 2015.

Increasing Access to Health & Wellness Training Througout California

BSP's Health & Wellness program grew out of pilot projects in collaboration with

Kaiser Permanente, the Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP), and other community partners. With access to preventative health information, participants are able to make more informed decisions and to incorporate sustainable changes into their daily lives to improve both their own health and the health of their families.

BSP expanded its Health & Wellness program by offering Summer of Health workshops in San Jose and Oakland, through which participants learned about exercise, nutrition and stress management. Culminating events included a Health Fair in San Jose and a day at Lake Chabot in Oakland. With the funding from the California Service Employee's Trust Fund, BSP hired a health educator and coordinator to grow its Health & Wellness program's reach throughout Southern California. The health educator will deliver worksite trainings and implement a case management system for identified individuals.

Strengthening Our Capacity: New Staff


Claudia Fernandez, AmeriCorps VISTA (San Jose) Claudia is a recent graduate of Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Political Science. Claudia is familiar with the struggles of immigrant workers through her involvement with a university student-led labor group.	Lauren Moreno AmeriCorps VISTA (Los Angeles) Lauren is a recent graduate of St. Mary's College with a B.A. in Philosophy and minors in Pre-Law and Sociology. Lauren's personal and educational background has instilled a passion for underserved communities.


Karen Aragon Health Educator & Coordinator Karen joined BSP as a Health Educator and Coordinator in Los Angeles and will work on expanding the Health & Wellness program. Karen attended UCLA and received her MPH from Loma Linda University.	Sylvia Romo, Sacramento Programs Coordinator Sylvia will work on developing and expanding programming in the Sacramento area. Sylvia holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Other News


BSP Awarded DOL-Susan Harwood Grant In partnership with UCLA's Labor Occupational Safety and Health (LOSH) Program, BSP has received a U.S. Department of Labor - Susan Harwood grant. Through this partnership, BSP will receive $35,000 to provide occupational health and safety training to janitors.	BSP Awarded DHS Citizenship and Integration Grant In partnership with Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), BSP was awarded a two-year Citizenship and Integration grant by the Department of Homeland Security. The grant totaling $250,000 will fund the expansion of citizenship instruction and naturalization application services.

3 Simple Ways To Stay Engaged!


1) Donate Today Your donations will allow BSP to continue to carry out its mission! 100% of donations go directly to programming!	2) Follow BSP Stay connected! Receive live posts and stories, view pictures and congratulate participants on their success through Facebook & Twitter!	3) Share our Newsletter Help strengthen BSP's collaborative work by spreading the word about its accomplishments.