BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Hope after hardship was the goal of the job and resource fair hosted by Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez in Bakersfield on Wednesday for the benefit of those impacted by the recent and sudden furloughs from Fresno's Bitwise Industries.
Community organizations including Kern Health Systems, Bakersfield College, The Open Door Network, and the Community Action Partnership of Kern came together in Downtown Bakersfield to provide not just employment opportunities but housing, utility, and food assistance for those who were furloughed by Bitwise.
Tanya Lopez was one of those former Bitwise employees, and she says she was caught completely off-guard by the announcement.
"Out of the blue. I worked on the Saturday shift before and still had no idea that this would be happening," said Lopez.
Lopez says she instantly started wondering what her next steps were going to be.
"Shock, disappointment, a little anger. Where our next paycheck was going to come from. I think that was the most shocking," said Lopez. "All those thoughts that run through your head: Bills, rent, food… everything."
Keith Arambula, also a former Bitwise employee, expresses how thankful he was for the job and resource fair, as it gave him encouragement that there is still hope after hardship.
"That was probably the most important thing that's happened out of this, because even though everything that happened that was bad, right away they figured something out for us and they put this whole event together for us, and I feel like it's just heads up from here," said Arambula.
In addition to the employment opportunities, attendees were also able to receive food boxes from the Community Action Partnership of Kern. Blaine Hodge, Agency and Relations Supervisor for CAP-K, says the agency is glad to help, and not just the Bitwise employees.
"It kinda puts people in a hard place, especially when it comes to food. We did some produce boxes that we built ourselves with the food bank together, and then we brought some emergency food kits that were already premade. We've got those set up and we're giving them out to the Bitwise former employee members, and we also made enough to also help other people in the community that show up that have a supplemental need for food," said Hodge.
Kern County Supervisor for District 5 Leticia Perez says the event was just one of the many ways to help people get back on their feet, something she defined as "Kern County T.L.C."
"What we do know is that for every closed door there are new doors that open up. Here is an open door opportunity; resources in the county, emergency cash aid, emergency MediCal because folks have lost their insurance, they just found out their last paycheck has bounced," said Perez. "These people are really in crisis and we are here with a little bit of light."
