OCC students fight to save program

Deirdre Newman

OCC CAMPUS -- When Rebecca Bruce left an abusive relationship a year

ago and applied for welfare, she turned to the CalWORKS program at the

college to help her go back to school.

The program starts students on the road to self-sufficiency by

offering services such as academic advising, a subsidized work-study

program and child care.

“I was a wreck when I came here,” Bruce said. “They’ve helped me a lot

and reminded me about my inner strength.”

Knowing firsthand the value of the program, Bruce was shocked and

saddened when she heard Gov. Gray Davis is considering slashing 89% of

the statewide CalWORKS budget. Such a cut would essentially decimate the

program at college and the other two community colleges in the district.

Drawing on her inner strength, Bruce and about 25 of her fellow

CalWORKS beneficiaries spent Friday morning firing off letters to state

officials urging them to reconsider the draconian cuts in such a valuable

program.

“We’re making them understand that we’re not just doing nothing here,”

said Michelle Canales, 26, who supports herself and her two children.

“We’re accomplishing things and bettering ourselves.”

CalWORKS has been promoting its motto of self-sufficiency through

education on the college’s campus since the 1997-98 school year and has

served about 500 students to date. If Davis’ cuts become reality, all of

the work-study jobs would be eliminated, and the only remaining funds

would be for child care, said Vickie Hay, coordinator.

Students now have to fulfill 32 hours a week combined of work and

classes. With the proposed cuts, none of the students can maintain 32

hours of work and school, Hay said, putting them at risk of losing their

welfare benefits.

This would come as a harsh blow to Bruce, who relied on the help of

CalWORKS, not just in going back to school, but in finding an apartment

for her and her son and a place to go for counseling, she said.”Without

CalWORKS, I would probably be in a shelter and working some kind of

low-paying job and struggling severely,” Bruce said.

Bruce credits CalWORKS with supporting her desire to get an education,

as she said the county often encourages welfare recipients to find a job

right away.

Hay drafted a sample letter for students to send, encouraging them to

include their personal stories and how they have benefited from the

program.

After three years with the CalWORKS program, Hay said she is not going

to stand by and see it dismantled without a fight.

“I’m feeling a real sense of commitment and passion because I truly

believe education is the only way to escape poverty,” she said.

Hay will travel to Sacramento next week to meet face-to-face with some

state legislators to continue the battle to save the program.

A former CalWORKS students said she didn’t think it was fair for the

state government to give up on so much funding for the program when the

participants haven’t given up on themselves.

“Before CalWORKS, I was only a vagabond,” said Sharon Sullivan, 44. “I

worked myself into breakdowns. These counselors saw that and helped me.

Hay helped me with my child care. Otherwise, I would have just quit.”