Dear friends,
In the wake of Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin’s conviction for the murder of George Floyd, we must remember that this was just one case of accountability in a system that too often denies justice to people of color. Monument Impact is hopeful this is a step toward real and lasting change. And we stand with Black-led organizations like Safe Return Project that need our collective support right now to break down systemic racism and reform the criminal and juvenile justice systems.
Meanwhile, as our community is looking to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful for the Latino Community Foundation who has supported us in conducting COVID-19 vaccine outreach through our promotores de salud (community health advocates). As of April 19, we connected with 1,043 community members. 52% of them were already vaccinated, and 19% were registered (made an appointment on the spot or were added to a waitlist). We encourage you to learn the facts about the vaccine and how to get vaccinated.
Affording rent and eliminating back rent that accrued during the pandemic continues to be a major issue for our community, especially for our immigrant and undocumented residents. Despite the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) (English / Spanish), these applications are extensive and require thorough documentation. If you are in need of assistance, please reach out to us at housing@monumentimpact.org with the subject line ERAP.
We also encourage you to apply for our Monument Relief and Recovery Fund, recently recognized by Gov. Newsom, which has served over 2,400 families and provided over $1.4M to support them with rent, bills and utility payments.
We remain committed to our Black and Brown community members. We will continue offering our support as we advocate for housing, racial, workers and immigrant justice.
In solidarity,
Debra Ballinger
Executive Director
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Contra Costa May Day 2021 |
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COVID-19 has hit low-income, working class families of color the hardest. Every month, families must choose whether to pay rent or feed their children in order to avoid eviction.
On International Workers' Day, we lift up the struggles of workers and tenants during this pandemic. Housing justice is about racial, worker, immigrant, and gender justice.
Join Raise the Roof Coalition this Friday, April 30 at 11 a.m. at 725 Court Street in Martinez, CA, for a housing and workers justice rally - bring a mask! Check out the flyer, and save the Facebook event.
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Rental Assistance Programs |
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California Emergency Rental Assistance Program |
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California’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) provides tenants who owe rent an opportunity to secure up to 80% of what they owe, if their landlord will opt-in and forgive the remaining 20%. If the landlord does not opt in, the tenant can apply for 25% of what they owe. Assistance is paid directly to the landlord.
The State of California recently launched a website (in English and Spanish) to assist renters and landlords facing challenges related to COVID-19. Check out this tenant checklist to see if you are eligible for the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (English / Spanish).
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Monument Relief and Recovery Fund
If you’ve been affected by any of the following due to COVID-19 and live in Contra Costa County, consider applying for our Monument Relief and Recovery Fund.
- Reduction in work hours
- Eviction
- Medical costs due to COVID-19
- Change of immigration status
This relief fund is intended for those without a work permit. DACA recipients are not eligible, but families of mixed-status may apply.
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Meet Daniel Vasquez, Our New Deputy Director |
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As Deputy Director, Daniel will partner with our executive director, program director and management team to chart Monument Impact’s strategic growth in response to increased demand for our services and advocacy.
Daniel was inspired to join Monument Impact because of the direct services we offer to immigrants and communities with low incomes.
Prior to Monument Impact, Daniel was the Executive Director of Brothers on the Rise, an Oakland-based youth development nonprofit organization working with boys and young men of color. In 2019, Daniel was the main stage emcee for Concord Pride, hosted by the Rainbow Community Center.
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Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary |
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As our 20th anniversary comes up in September, our leadership reflected back on what first inspired them to join Monument Impact and the most rewarding aspects of their work.
Meet Debra Ballinger, Executive Director at Monument Impact
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Read her full interview here.
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Monument Impact in the Media |
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Governor Newsom Visits Monument Impact |
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Governor Newsom met with us to discuss the California Renter Relief Program and how increase participation from both landlords and renters, including those who are undocumented or have informal rental agreements. Read and watch more on Telemundo48.
El gobernador Gavin Newsom dijo el martes en Concord que no hay suficientes latinos aprovechando el nuevo programa de ayuda con el pago de deuda en el alquiler a raíz de la pandemia.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday in Concord that there aren't enough Latinos taking advantage of the new rent debt relief program due to the pandemic.
“Este es un programa emocionante pero solo si la gente lo usa, y uno de los grupos más importantes son los latinos, los cuales hasta el momento solo representan el 35 por ciento, de cerca de 96 mil solicitudes que están en proceso”, dijo Newsom.
“This is an exciting program, but only if people use it, and one of the most important groups is Latinos, which so far represent only 35 percent of about 96,000 applications that are in process,” said Newsom.
Agregó que saben que la comunidad es más grande e intentan llegar a ellos, y por esto estuvo en la organización Monument Impact.
He added that they know that the community is larger and they are trying to reach them, and that's why he was at Monument Impact.
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Promotores de Salud Conduct COVID-19 Vaccine Community Outreach
Community organizations are partnering with promotores de salud--community health advocates--to provide undocumented communities with accurate, trustworthy information on the COVID-19 vaccine and where to get it.
"They feel more comfortable coming to us or hearing from us because we are part of the community," she said. "It's more believable from us. I am an example ... they know me as a friend, they know me as a neighbor, as someone they can trust."
"Se sienten más cómodos viniendo a nosotros o escuchando de nosotros porque somos parte de la comunidad", dijo. "Es más creíble para nosotros. Soy un ejemplo, me conocen como amigo, me conocen como vecino, como alguien en quien pueden confiar".
"This community is essential workers, they've made everybody's lives better while their own lives have not been so good," said Ballinger, the Monument Impact executive director. "Restaurant workers, gardeners, childcare workers, house cleaners, all of those workers really have served our greater community in Contra Costa."
"Esta comunidad son trabajadores esenciales, han mejorado la vida de todos mientras que sus propias vidas no han sido tan buenas", dijo Ballinger, director ejecutivo de Monument Impact. "Trabajadores de restaurantes, jardineros, trabajadores de cuidado
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Rental Assistance Programs and Their Impact On Our Community
We're helping families apply for rental assistance and know the resources available to them, including the state’s recent rent relief program. Read more about these programs on Mercury News, featuring Executive Director Monument Impact and one of our local community members Harisbet Morales.
Even as more adults receive vaccinations and businesses gradually reopen, said Debra Ballinger of Monument Impact in Concord, “the community we’re working with is still facing a tremendous amount of economic pressure.”
“I don’t know how we’re going to pay all this debt without assistance,” Harisbet said through an interpreter. She’s approached a representative of her landlord, asking them to apply for aid through a new federally-funded program that would wipe out the debt. “I’m very hopeful.”
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Monument Impact is hiring for a variety of positions. Learn more about our job opportunities here.
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Class and Program Updates |
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Employment Readiness Virtual Workshops (English) |
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Join our virtual 9-week workshop series to learn how to prepare for employment. Together, we’ll cover: |
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- U.S. work culture
- Networking
- Resume development
- Job searching
- Elevator speeches
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- Job interviews
- Work standards and behavior
- Problem-solving
- Job promotion
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Workshops take place in English on Zoom on Fridays. Dates for the next workshop series are to be determined.
Check out our flyer in English, and fill out the interest form. To register or to get more details, contact Samira at (925) 682-8248 ext. 2240
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In-person park schedule:
- Mondays - 8:30 a.m. at Meadow Homes Park
- Wednesdays - 8 a.m. at Cambridge Park
- Saturdays - 8:30 a.m. at Ellis Lake Park
All participants are required to follow the following guidelines to participate:
- Do not come to class if you are feeling sick with cold or flu symptoms such as a fever, cough, etc..
- All participants are required to wear a face mask throughout the entire session.
- Maintain social distancing (6 feet).
- We have a 15-person limit per class
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