Financial security is central to residents' ability to sustain themselves and provide a stable environment for raising families. That is why our economic development intiatives are geared toward job creation and why we make it a priority to hire and train area residents for employment within the organization and its subsidiaries. Likewise, we actively partners with local and minority contractors who share our commitment to the community's economic empowerment.

In addition to creating opportunity within the organization, we pursue economic development initiatives in the broader community. Two of the most successful are:

• El Mercado. The development of El Mercado, a local fresh foods market first opened by Bickerdike in 1992, has resulted in job opportunities for low-income community residents. It has also resulted in the availability of quality, culturally relevant products at fair prices at El Mercado.

• Humboldt Construction Company (HCC). In 1981, HCC was created as a wholly owned subsidiary to link our development activity to the creation of skilled job opportunities for community residents. HCC employs 15 to 25 carpenters at any given time, and more than 75 workers have made their way through the apprenticeship program and into skilled jobs elsewhere.