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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Clara Calvo, Worker and Co-owner at Cooperative Home Care
6:16:29
ยท
5 min
Clara Calvo, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, shares her experience as a worker and co-owner at Cooperative Home Care. She emphasizes the importance of worker cooperatives in providing opportunities for immigrants and requests continued support for the Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative (WCBDI).
- Calvo arrived in the US in 1995 and struggled financially until joining Cooperative Home Care in 2001
- She became a co-owner and board member of the cooperative, which has provided her with better opportunities
- Calvo stresses the importance of WCBDI funding to support immigrant-owned cooperatives and prevent business closures
UNKNOWN
6:16:29
representatives of the city.
6:16:37
My name is Clara Calvo, and I'm a worker at.
Jasniya Sanchez
6:16:42
Cooperative care.
UNKNOWN
6:16:43
Cooperative home care.
6:16:45
Mhmm.
6:16:54
And I'm a member of the defenders or of the Okay.
6:17:06
Workers of the city of New
Catherine Gonzalez
6:17:07
York.
6:17:07
A
UNKNOWN
6:17:08
member of the defenders council.
Jasniya Sanchez
6:17:11
Council of the New York City.
UNKNOWN
6:17:21
I arrived to The US in 1995 from Dominican Republic.
6:17:31
Searching for a better opportunity of life for myself and my three children.
6:17:45
I worked in for five years.
6:17:47
I worked in traditional jobs such as beauty salons, factories, restaurants.
6:18:01
But at the end of the month, the money was not even enough to pay the rent.
6:18:14
So in 02/2001, I found Cooperative Home Care which gave me a training of four weeks.
6:18:28
And they gave me work after I finished the four week training.
6:18:38
A short time later, I became co owner and partner of the cooperative.
6:18:51
Then they added me to the board of
Christopher Leon Johnson
6:18:55
the where
UNKNOWN
6:19:02
I worked for a certain time in the board, the cooperative.
6:19:15
I feel that I'm a proud and privileged immigrant because I have taken advantage of all the opportunities that the cooperative has, offered me.
6:19:33
And I hope that WCDI continues supporting the cooperative as they did with us.
6:19:53
And I hope that WCDI continues supporting immigrants so that they can keep building their dreams to have their own businesses.
6:20:16
So just like cooperative home care, they help caring for the elder, caring for children, services for the elders.
6:20:34
And throughout the years, I've seen many businesses close their doors because of a lack of funding.
Jasniya Sanchez
6:20:43
This
UNKNOWN
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has not happened to us, and we've been able to survive.
6:21:16
If the cooperative grows and you help us, more people will be able to join and we can continue building and more people will be able to do it.
6:21:29
And this also helps the City Of New York continue in its economic growth.
6:21:51
Support and your commitment to the cooperatives is of key importance so that other cooperatives don't have to close their doors.
6:22:12
We hope that we can count on your support during the budgeting of this year, and thank you very much.