Pescadero Campesinos Build Bridge on their Road to Independence

By Manuel Ortiz, Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
Pescadero, California. Once a week at 6:00 p.m., when the cold is setting in outside and the darkness of night has covered almost everything, a warm and cheerful gathering of farmers called “The Room” begins.

The peasants and their families, most of them from Oaxaca, but also from other parts of Mexico and Latin America, arrive very punctually to the Community Church of Pescadero, where "La Sala" takes place.

Here, members of Bridge, a non-profit organization run by “La Sala,” welcomes them with a smile and a delicious hot dinner – in this case shrimp broth – as well as information on services to improve their quality of life. 

“La Sala” is an innovative, free program that functions as a space for coexistence and social cohesion. Here, strangers meet, lonely people accompany each other, and even entire families meet to live together. 

In a warm and playful atmosphere, the members of Bridge They speak one-on-one with farm workers who provide them with advice on taxes, medical appointments, COVID vaccines, or even letter translation.

“Every day, we walk alongside our South Coast neighbors as they cross the bridge to independence. By advocating for health, education, and community development, we uplift our communities to build self-confidence,” the organization highlights in its mission.

When people have equitable access to local resources that support their dreams, they are one step closer to making them a reality.

This is well known to Rita Mancera, the executive director of Bridge, who explained to P360P the scope of the organization and how they have supported it throughout its more than 23 years of existence, since its founder Wendy Taylor conceived the project.

«Bridge "We focus on three areas: health, education and economic security. Many people know us for our community development and financial aid services, but we also have a very strong education program, both for adults and for young people: we work with families so that they also know their rights and can advocate for their children in schools," she said.

In an interview, he highlighted that, even in the health area, they have a program for the elderly, where they are visited in their homes so that they can enjoy company and have a good time together, especially at this time when the pandemic has isolated them.

"There are many more services, but the sense of community is what matters most to us in this program and others that we have," Mancera emphasizes with a huge smile when talking about the work they do in their environment.

"We have always said that we want to be that bridge to independence, that people have economic security, that they do not depend on social service programs because they have good salaries, good housing, because they can get good jobs and work permits. That is the long-term vision," he says.

Among the projects that attract the most attention is "La Sala", it is one of the oldest programs in Bridge, that focuses on men, women and families who work in the fields.

Alejandra Ortega, the organization's fundraising director, highlights that, although all these services are provided through "La Sala," the space allows immigrants who do not have relatives in the area to socialize with other people who speak their same language, which helps them integrate into the community.

"We are happy to be able to have this program again, during the pandemic it was on pause and this year in May 2021 we can bring it back to agricultural workers," he said.

He also noted that the program, like the organization of BridgeThey primarily serve residents of Pescadero, La Honda, Loma Mar and San Gregorio on the south coast of San Mateo County, although they have also received people from other areas, who are referred to organizations closer to home.

A large number of the immigrants living in Pescadero are from Mexico, and they come to “La Sala” in search of a space that shelters them and provides them with a sense of identity in a foreign country.

Such is the case of Marcos Jaimes, originally from Cuernavaca, Morelos. For this Mexican who worked as a farmer in the area, the space has become something usual, every Thursday, a respite after hours of work.

«The Room is about hanging out, about getting away from the daily routine we have, spending time with everyone one day a week.»

Abraham Bernardino Alonso, from San Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca, enjoys the dinner provided by the organization. Happy, he says he has been coming to “La Sala” for 14 years, where he has made friends.

For him, the work of the organization is an opportunity. “I think it’s good, because many of those who come from Mexico don’t have shelter anywhere else, they help them, and it’s nice too. That’s why we come to support so that this “Room” is not forgotten, and that it can’t be destroyed after all the work it has cost them.”

Farmer Alejandro Antonio López, from Villa Sola de Vega, Oaxaca, has been in the United States for six months, but he continues to return to the space he found in Pescadero, a place he described as peaceful and beautiful.

Housing and defence

Among the advice provided BridgeThere are those dedicated to housing, a situation that is increasingly difficult in the area due to the high costs of housing and the few spaces available.

Kevin Feeney, director of Housing Advocacy, told us that sometimes “housing is expensive and sometimes it isn’t, but there are other disadvantages, for example, that one has to continue working for the same employer and this can limit opportunities to look for a job that pays better or to demand better working conditions.”

Because of the lack of housing, employers who offer space to workers have a lot of power, he said.

In light of this, he added that a priority is to obtain housing independent of work, accessible spaces to give people the opportunity to choose the job they want.

“The best opportunity for this is within the town of Pescadero, where there is more infrastructure and interest from nonprofit developers to do something a little different and give us hope that there could be a change.”

Feeney said that people need to be organized to “make change.” “I think that right now there is not the will to really get these houses, to change the situation. We are working on this. Next year we are going to do a leadership program for community members, where they know that they can decide their own visions for housing and start getting together to make these changes. It is a long process, but right now it is about people coming together and asking for change because it is not going to come voluntarily.”

Kevin noted that all those who want to join the efforts for better housing and participate in the leadership program in January 2022, can contact the office of Bridge at (650) 879-1691, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

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