THE COMMUNITY VOICE
A Quarterly Newsletter by Community Services Employment Training
Dear CSET Community,
September 2024
As we enter the fall season, it’s a great moment to re ect on the incredible milestones we’ve achieved together in 2024. This year has been one of continued initiatives, collaboration, and community-driven impact. We reopened a couple of our Senior Centers, hosted several rst time home buyer workshops, and also celebrated the grand opening of our new Tulare Family Resource Center & Employment Connection A liate. CSET has also o ered a Summer Resource Fair in collaboration with 12 amazing organizations to foster community engagement and empowerment, bringing neighbors together to discuss Fair Housing rights and explore various support services.
Looking ahead, we are excited to open the doors of our Visalia Navigation Center, which will help combat poverty and homelessness in Tulare County.
Our deepest thanks go to our amazing partners, dedicated volunteers, committed board members, and hardworking sta . Your ongoing support is the driving force behind our mission, and together, we’re creating meaningful change.
Wishing you a vibrant and productive fall season lled with growth, connection, and success.
Sincerely,
Mary Alice Escarsega-Fechner, CSET Executive Director
PRE-PURCHASE HOMEBUYER COUNSELING
Are you one of the many people interested in buying a home but nd the process overwhelming? With so many factors to consider, it can be di cult to know where to start, but we’re here to help you every step of the way!
CSET provides personalized one-on-one counseling sessions for those aspiring to achieve homeownership. Our certi ed HUD housing counselors can help you navigate the home-buying process, understand tenant rights and responsibilities, tackle credit and budgeting issues, prevent mortgage or property tax foreclosure, report housing discrimination, and avoid homelessness.
Our Housing Counseling Services are completely FREE! Visit our main o ce at 312 NW 3rd Ave, Visalia, CA 93291, Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 4:30 pm to pick up an application. If you have any questions about getting started with housing counseling, please reach out to our Housing Counseling Team at 559-741-4641 or via email at homer.ruiz@cset.org.
Earlier this month we proudly celebrated the grand opening of our NEW Tulare Family Resource Center & Employment Connection A liate! With this new location, we are excited to o er enhanced accessibility and convenience, ensuring we continue to deliver top-quality services to the community.
We are thrilled to welcome the Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) as a new partner at this location during our Grand Opening. CAPK will o er crucial services to help migrant families secure childcare, enabling them to continue their seasonal agricultural work across the state. Additionally, we are proud to maintain our strong partnerships with the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County and First 5 of Tulare County, both of which have played an essential role in supporting and uplifting our community.
A special thank you to the Tulare Chamber of Commerce, our partners, and all the community members who joined us! We invite everyone to visit us at our new location: 155 N K St, Tulare, CA 93274.
The opening of the Visalia Navigation Center (VNC) represents the culmination of years of planning, collaboration, and commitment from local organizations, government agencies, and community members. Spearheaded by TC Hope, a nonpro t dedicated to assisting individuals experiencing homelessness, the VNC aims to address the root causes of homelessness by o ering comprehensive, tailored services.
Located at 3525 N. Court St. in Visalia, the VNC is a Low Barrier Navigation Center, providing temporary housing along with essential services such as meals, healthcare, employment assistance, mental health support, and pathways to permanent housing. It serves as a central resource, empowering individuals and families to rebuild their lives and achieve lasting stability. The center is funded through a combination of state and local grants, foundations, and local philanthropic donors. Key partners like Kings Tulare Homeless Alliance (KTHA), Kaweah Health, Visalia Senior Housing, and Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) were instrumental in making this project a reality. Individuals seeking to stay at the Visalia Navigation Center must rst go through the Coordinated Entry System. To start this process, potential guests should contact 2-1-1 for assistance.
The grand opening event will be held on October 4, 2024, at 10 a.m. Attendees will enjoy a ribbon-cutting ceremony, guided tours of the facility, and remarks from local leaders and stakeholders. Members of the public and media are welcome to attend and learn more about the center’s services and impact on the community. For more information or to RSVP for the event, please visit www.cset.org/vnc or email vnc.info@cset.org.
The Workforce Investment Board and Tulare County Employment Connection are excited to host the 32nd Annual Tulare County Job Fair on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at the Visalia Convention Center from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
This event is free to attend, with Priority of Service for Veterans, allowing them early entry at 8:30 AM, while the general public will enter at 9:00 AM.
The Job Fair provides a valuable opportunity for job seekers and businesses across the Central Valley to connect. Attendees can explore job leads, participate in on-the-spot interviews, receive resume reviews, and showcase their skills and experience to local employers.
For more information, visit https://www.tularewib.org/tulare-county-job-fair.
SEQUOIA COMMUNITY CORPS
Our Sequoia Community Corpsmembers have recently completed their CPR, First Aid, and Automated External De brillator (AED) training! Through a comprehensive blended learning course, they gained valuable hands-on experience in life-saving techniques and earned their Health and Safety Institute (HSI) certi cate from the American Heart Association, which is valid for two years. We are proud to equip our Corpsmembers with essential skills that can truly make a di erence in emergency situations, ensuring they are ready to help our community when it matters most.
Our Corpsmembers also participated in HAZWOPER training, which focuses on Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response in accordance with OSHA standards. This training is crucial for preparing our team to safely handle hazardous materials and e ectively respond to emergencies.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Teamsters and The Butte County O ce of Education (BCOE) for facilitating this vital training. By investing in our Corpsmembers, we’re not only enhancing their capabilities but also reinforcing our commitment to the safety and well-being of our community.
The Energy Services department is dedicated to helping local residents save money. More specically, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is designed to increase the energy e ciency of homes owned or occupied by low-income residents. The purpose of the program is to reduce energy costs such as heating and cooling bills and to improve the health and safety of families.
Guadalupe learned that her mother’s home started to smell strongly of gas and immediately reached out to her local gas company about her concerns. The gas company inspected the home and discovered a gas leak. They turned o the gas line and informed Guadalupe that her mother may qualify for CSET services and assistance. Guadalupe was worried that her mother would not be able to a ord the repairs needed to x her home, but thankfully her mother quali ed for Weatherization services and was able to get her wall heater and water heater replaced. Additionally, the home was out tted with weather stripping on the front exterior door, low- ow showerheads and a newly repaired glass window. Guadalupe is delighted now that everything in her mother’s home is running smoothly, and they’re saving money thanks to its energy e ciency.
Visalia CSET 312 NW 3rd Ave. Visalia, CA 93291 Tel. 559.732.4194
Visalia Employment Connection 4025 W. Noble Ave. # B Visalia, CA 93277-1631 Tel. 559.713.5000
Tulare Family Resource Center & Employment Connection A liate 155 N K. St. Tulare, CA 93274 Tel. 559.684.1987
Porterville Employment Connection 1063 W. Henderson Ave. Porterville, CA 93257 Tel. 559.788.1400
Earlimart CSET 176 N. Front St. Earlimart, CA 93219 Tel. 661.849.2960
Orosi CSET 12737 Ave. 417 Orosi, CA 93647 Tel. 559.216.0438
Pixley CSET 927 Center St. Pixley, CA 93256 Tel. 559.575.0098
Porterville CSET 108 E. Morton Ave. Porterville, CA 93257 Tel. 559.216.0525
CSET Senior Services
1.800.321.2462
Cutler-Orosi, Earlimart, Exeter, Farmersville, Goshen, Lindsay, Porterville, & Woodlake
Visalia Navigation Center (VNC) 3525 N. Court St. Visalia, CA 93291
CSET combats poverty by providing indiviudals, families, and communities with the resources, skills, and opportunties to thrive.
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Discover more information about CSET’s programs and services at: www.cset.org