Thanks to you, our generous funders and supporters, we closed out 2019 with a very strong Holiday Campaign! Altogether, including the matching grant from our friends at Delta Scrap and Salvage, 167 donors contributed over $105,000! This is a very promising way to enter 2020, which also marks our 20th year in business.

This year's holiday campaign raised 20% more than last year. We are exceptionally thankful for the 77 new individual donors, our consistent past donors, and those who supported our successful Giving Tuesday campaign!

Read more: A Strong End to 2019!

Do you remember the last time you completed the United States Census form? Not really? It was almost ten years ago, and it wasn't online. In 2020, that changes.

Beginning in early April, all United States residents will be asked to complete the required census form by filling out a web form.

Read more: Opportunity Junction Will Help Residents Complete Online 2020 Census

Now that California has moved its primary from June to March, the deadline to register to vote is earlier, too: February 18, 2020.

Even if you are already registered to vote, you may need to re-register this year. Did you move since the last election? Would you prefer the convenient vote-by-mail ballot that gives you almost a month to complete and return?

Read more: Vote in Your Pajamas! We'll Show You How

Opportunity Junction, which served over 1,580 low-income Contra Costa residents last year, is ranked the #1 poverty-fighting nonprofit organization serving the United States by ImpactMatters. Among 1,081 nonprofits around the world, Opportunity Junction also received a five-star rating for its cost-effectiveness. After the Impact Audit of Opportunity Junction, ImpactMatters concluded, a donation of “$14,000 increases the earnings of a person living in poverty by $44,000.”

Read more: Opportunity Junction Ranked #1 Poverty Fighting Organization in the Nation

From Homeless to Hopeful

It's been almost a month since Frank Kolsut was hired as a permanent employee with Corteva Agriscience in a career he could never have envisioned for himself.

It's been nearly two years since he completed the administrative training program and took an entry level, temporary position with a company he never thought he'd work for

And it's been four years since Frank was living on the streets of San Francisco homeless, addicted, and near death from pneumonia and a dangerous blood clot.

Read more: November 2019 Featured Alum: Frank Kolsut

What is #GivingTuesday? #GivingTuesday refers to the Tuesday after U.S. Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a movement to create an international day of charitable giving during the holiday season.

Last year we were able to serve 1,580 individuals (more than ever before) thanks to the generosity of our supporters. By donating this #GivingTuesday you #GiveOpportunity to motivated job seekers looking to change the trajectory of their lives.

Read more: Save the Date: December 3rd - Giving Tuesday

We are proud and grateful to announce the following new grants and funding partnerships:

Anonymous Donor/Silicon Valley Community Foundation: An anonymous donor provided a $50,000 unrestricted grant to Opportunity Junction from an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Silicon Valley Community Foundation partners with donors in their shared mission to strengthen the common good, improve quality of life and address the most challenging problems.

Read more: New Grants

This past year, you were an important part of helping low-income job seekers overcome barriers and gain the skills and confidence to launch a career. Altogether, we provided 1,580 with training, counseling, and job placement services. Thank you for your generosity and partnership.

Please click the link to see our FY18-19 Annual Report for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2019. We are very proud of the work our team did this year to help the communities of East Contra Costa and beyond. We hope that in reviewing the report you will experience the pride and satisfaction that we do, knowing that together we made a difference in our community.

Within the past few weeks we have been spoiled by generous corporate volunteers from BBVA, Chevron, and Wells Fargo. Volunteers held mock interviews with our Administrative Careers Training program interns, helping our interns gain real-life interview experience and providing individualized feedback. This experience is invaluable since our interns are currently interviewing as part of their job searches.

Read more: Thank You, Corporate Volunteers!

We are pleased to welcome our newest board member, Renee Reid!

Renee Reid is a Staff UX Design Researcher at LinkedIn with over 20 years of professional experience in various roles including Project Management, Customer Experience, Sales and User Experience. She is also the LinkedIn Campus Lead for the Black Inclusion Group BIG (an Employee Resource group (ERG), a Boys and Girls Club mentor, as well as a Professional Mentor with TechWomen, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs created by the Obama Administration.

Read more: Welcome, Renee Reid!