Santa Cruz and Monterey counties are holding a job fair at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Pájaro on Wed. June 7 to help support flood victims.
The event is being led by the the Monterey County Workforce Development Board and the Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board, according to a media release.
“We’re reaching out to the community to attend and hope that flood victims, jobseekers and employers will come out to support Pájaro residents,” said Monterey County Workforce Development Executive Director, Christopher Donnelly.
This is the latest in recent efforts to revitalize the economy of Pájaro after the devastating flood that inundated the town in March 2023.
After being displaced by the flood, residents returned to damaged dwellings, destroyed possessions and a devastated agricultural sector that employed many of the area’s migrant farmworkers. The job fair is aiming to connect job seekers and employers in both counties to help get flood victims back on their feet.
A total of 20 employers will participate and those interested in getting involved are encouraged to sign up quickly to claim a spot. This event follows other efforts to support the community here.
From April 28-30, the Shop Pájaro event was held to help local businesses recover after the flood damaged many in town. The weekend-long event boosted establishments struggling to return to normal operations more than a month after the March flood.
On April 10, the Monterey-Salinas Transit Board of Directors approved a free fare zone for riders making stops in Pájaro. The free rides will be in effect until June 30, according to the MST website.
Now, local officials are hoping to get residents back to work.
“We’re happy to be hosting the event in an effort to spur economic improvement to an area that’s been severely impacted due to flood damages,” said Donnely.
The Pájaro Job Fair will take place from 1-4pm on Wed. June 7 in the tent at Our Lady of the Assumption Church at 100 Salinas Road in Pájaro.
