Fiona Kelliher CalMatters

Nov 19, 2024 | ivpressonline.com | Fiona Kelliher |Fiona Kelliher CalMatters

In 2019, Alexis Rowberry was living in a Fresno County homeless shelter with her two kids, recently out of what she described as an abusive relationship. “We had nothing,” she said. She found herself at the Fresno County Department of Social Services, staring at a flier. “They had something up on the wall about trades,” said Rowberry, now 40. “It wasn’t there the day before, and it wasn’t there the day after. It just happened to be there that day.

Sep 26, 2024 | ivpressonline.com | Fiona Kelliher |Fiona Kelliher CalMatters

Jessica Alvarez Castañeda was sick of low-paying jobs. For years, the 39-year-old mother of four had been “breaking her back for almost nothing” as a cashier, nursing assistant, babysitter, house cleaner and cook. She was familiar with the skilled trades, which include careers such as carpentry, roofing and painting, because her three brothers worked as pipefitters.