Sonia Rodriquez is no stranger to balancing the challenges of life. This single mother of five has often worked several jobs to support her family. She now lives with her children at the Pueblo Del Rio public housing community.
The housing assistance has been a big financial relief but she looks at it as a mere stepping stone. When an employment opportunity presented itself with Walton Construction Services, Sonia did not hesitate to apply. She was hired as a Jobsite Office Administrator but her passion for construction won over, and she is now splitting her time between acting as an Administrator and Laborer. “I have been in construction for the last 10 years and I enjoy it. Maybe because my dad was in construction and I grew up in that environment,” says Sonia.
Years ago Sonia was an intern at one of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)’s community centers and later took advantage of HACLA’s Worksource Center programs and enrolled in the Laborers Union where she honed her construction skills. For a brief period, Sonia also worked with HACLA’s construction team. She has held many jobs over the years and welcomed the opportunity to put her skills to work for Walton*.
Sonia was enrolled in HACLA’s Section 3 Resident Registry which is a database of Section 3 Residents looking for employment and training opportunities to enter the workforce. After learning of the Walton opportunity through the Registry, HACLA’s Section 3 staff assisted Sonia to prepare for the interview and facilitated the process.
Today, Sonia is very pleased with her employment and is hopeful that she will become a permanent employee with Walton.
About Walton Construction Services
Walton Construction Services is the General Contractor for the redevelopment of New Dana Strand Phase IV. Mercy Housing California and Abode Communities are the developers. Over 150 family housing units will be built and reserved for low, very-low and extremely‐low income families. New Dana Strand IV will also include supportive housing units for homeless veterans.