Economy

PG&E, Caltrans, Tesla among the more popular employers at Richmond’s first big post-pandemic job fair

Over 200 people had signed in at the career fair within 30 minutes of its opening at the Richmond Convention Center on Wednesday afternoon.  The large auditorium buzzed with the chatter of job-seekers mingling with recruiters from 50 companies and organizations.  “We’re very excited and appreciative that so many people showed up, for this to be our first one since the pandemic,” said Tamara Walker, deputy community services director for the city’s  Employment & Training Department, which hosted the fair. …

Help wanted: 50 employers will be recruiting at Wednesday’s Career Fair in Richmond

Richmond is hosting its largest career fair in the post-pandemic era Wednesday afternoon, with over 50 employers meeting job seekers at the Richmond Convention Center.   Companies that will be recruiting at the event include PG&E, BART, U.S. Postal Service, Tesla, Amazon and Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences. The care industry will be well-represented, with employers trying to fill positions in child and senior care as well as in medical professions. Together, they offer a wide array of opportunities,…

San Pablo residents rally for rent control and better tenant protections

As inflation last year reached its highest level in 40 years, raising consumer prices on food, gas and even used cars, renters in San Pablo say they’ve felt the squeeze because of a lack of rent control in the city. This week, they asked the City Council to take up their cause. With hand-painted signs reading “Housing is a human right,” more than 30 people, including families, marched outside City Hall on Monday. Gathering shortly before the council meeting convened…

EV enthusiasts turn the curious on to the benefits of going electric

Dozens of people interested in learning more about electric vehicles, ride share programs, and other ways to reduce their carbon footprints gathered at  Richmond Civic Center Plaza Thursday for the ninth “Drive Electric” event.  Part of National Drive Electric Week, the event raises awareness about electric vehicles as an option. Volunteers set up booths to interact with passersby during lunch time. Some learned about electric car and bike rebate programs from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and Metropolitan…

Food, wine, craft beer, music. Saturday’s Taste of Richmond showcases home-grown bars and restaurants

Fine wines from Richmond vineyards, home-baked cakes, and spicy Quesabirria tacos are among the mouth-watering choices at this Saturday’s Taste of Richmond.  The event returns after a four-year pandemic hiatus, with 18 local food and drink businesses, and three live music performances from Bay Area artists, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Civic Center. Tickets are $25, giving you five tasty samples; for $49, attendees can have the new VIP experience — 10 samples, a swag bag, and…

Church offers no-interest loans to increase Black homeownership in Contra Costa County

Even though she was gainfully employed at a bio-pharma company, had built up some savings and made money on the side as a travel adviser, Astrid Heim had a hard time becoming a Bay Area homeowner. That changed in February, when she found out about interest-free loans through the Black Wealth Builders Fund. And now, at age 36, Heim owns a home in Concord. “This program took a lot of weight off my shoulders because, socially, buying in the Bay…

Agencies unite to help hundreds of laid-off HelloFresh workers: ‘I’m glad they were out there.’

Service providers in the East Bay have a message for the 611 workers laid off by HelloFresh in Richmond at the end of October: There are people and services available to help you find work. “You don’t have to navigate this by yourself,” said Carole “DC” Dorham-Kelly, CEO of Rubicon Programs, an anti-poverty nonprofit that is part of the Contra Costa Workforce Collaborative. Through service providers in the Collaborative, which includes nonprofits, adult education organizations, school sites, and community colleges,…

Final days for HelloFresh in Richmond, more than 600 workers face layoffs

On Wednesday, HelloFresh will close the Richmond facility it opened in 2015, putting 611 people out of work. For Julio de Leon, a HelloFresh driver for the past three years, the closure means losing income his family needs and having to start over.  “I depend on my HelloFresh check. And now, that check will no longer be on my table,” he said, in Spanish. “Starting over. Starting from zero, yet again, with new friends, with a new job. That’s the…

People of Richmond: Could you afford to take family leave?

“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity. Q: Would receiving 90% of your pay enable you to take eight weeks off to care for a newborn or sick relative? “Yeah. I have a son that is autistic, I do need that kind of stuff. My mom. I do take care of them. It would be nice to have that.” (Sulaiman…