BOTTOM LINE : Strength Through Cooperation

On corners throughout Southern California, clusters of hopeful laborers wait for work, sipping coffee from paper cups, talking, reading--then leaping into still-moving vehicles at a signal from the driver.

But each Friday night, in a room at the former St. Clement’s School in Venice, a calmer scene unfolds: about 80 workers get job assignments at a meeting of Listo, their one-of-a-kind job-referral cooperative.

Begun in 1988 at the St. Joseph Center, an organization founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to aid the poor and the homeless, Listo refers its members to employers seeking painters, gardeners, housecleaners, child- and elder-care workers, window washers and movers. It is funded by foundation grants and voluntary employer contributions of $1 for each hour of paid wages. Co-op members earn $6 to $7 an hour and pay $5 to $10 in monthly dues. They must speak English or attend English classes, and most also undergo job training.

“We don’t want to just give food for today--what will happen tomorrow?” says program coordinator Noemi Perez. “Now, they can put money in the bank and have a plan for the future.”

One Listo member is Barbara Vasquez, 35, who came to the United States from El Salvador five years ago. “Before, I was working only three or four days a week cleaning houses. But Listo gave me a lot of information about taking care of elderly people.” Now she works full time doing elder care.

“We can see how people are happy and living better,” says Perez. “For us, this is empowerment.”