Cafecitos helps workers voice needs

Cafecitos meetings encourage workers to voice their needs in their community

Building Skills Partnership (BSP) is a California nonprofit organization that improves the lives of property service workers in low-wage industries and their families.

BSP is hosting “Cafecito” programs to engage program participants to successfully lay the foundation for ongoing support and engagement, empowering workers to voice their concerns and seek the resources they need.

BSP believes that in order to adequately address the systemic root causes of inequities faced by service workers in low-wage industries, they must lead the way in identifying & diagnosing these problems as well as building toward their solutions.

Property service workers are janitors, security officers, maintenance and custodial workers, stadium, arena, and airport workers, and other workers who provide important services to the buildings of California.

Cafecito with property service workers in San Diego

To this end, BSP will convene property service workers in participant advisory committees to provide them a platform to be heard, to steer and inform advocacy efforts and to build their leadership capacity. 

During the Cafecitos sessions, these workers are viewed as experts in their own experience and as agents of change in their lives and in their communities and are respected as vital decision makers in the creation and modification of programming. BSP will design an approach to worker engagement that is empowering and transformational. 

Topics range from navigating taxes and completing W-2 forms to exploring college opportunities, and the challenges of securing affordable housing.

At a recent Cafecito held in San Diego, individuals gathered with enthusiasm to share their stories and discuss their experiences as janitors. This gathering provided a vital space for folks to open up about their work, family life, and community involvement, igniting discussions on various societal issues and barriers that they experience.  

During the team-building session, workers introduced themselves, sharing their years of service with their company, and revealing their dream travel destinations and hopes for the future. 

Many expressed a strong desire to travel with their families and revisit their hometowns in Mexico, fondly recalling childhood memories and reconnecting with long-lost family members. Worker Raul Lopez nostalgically mentioned, "I haven’t been back to Mexico in years. I dream of visiting my hometown again someday." 

Others shared similar sentiments, sparking a heartfelt conversation about returning home and reconnecting with their cultural roots.

BSP's service delivery/model and solutions through education on financial security, advancing economic mobility and building economic wealth, immigration outreach and legal services, and workforce training are vital steps in supporting workers’ hopes for a successful and sustainable future.

The success of Cafecito provides support and engagement for the community that BSP serves, with programs and service throughout California including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Oakland, Palo Alto, Sacramento, and San Jose. 

Cafecito will continue to encourage workers to voice their concerns openly and actively seek out the resources and assistance they need. BSP is proud to facilitate these conversations and provide resources!