New Economy & Wellbeing

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, we began to examine our economy and the ways in which it can improve in order for our communities to be more secure in times of need. This ongoing conversation ensures that future changes will continue to provide aid to our communities. 

Our values

  • Worker- centered: We believe the success of the economy and each of its institutions should be assessed by how well they achieve the collective wellbeing, independence, dignity, and growth of workers. 

  • Innovative: We believe the path to a new economy requires courageous conversations, reflection, new and unconventional ideas, data-information analysis, transparency, community and worker representation and multi-sector collaboration.

  • Real-World Improvement: We will empower and engage workers to create models, enduring business organizations, and policies that dismantle financial insecurity, eliminate poverty, build community wealth, and prohibit exploitation. 

  • Inclusive: We affirm that our efforts are inclusive and prioritize marginalized communities. We respect and encourage intergenerational and multi-racial perspectives and support the intersectionalities of individuals and communities. 

  • Sustainable: We believe an economy designed to achieve wellbeing must prioritize the natural environment. Conventional extractive economic practices have destroyed many species and endangered all life. The building of sustainable, resilient communities calls for a deep transformation in the way we marshal Earth’s resources, produce and exchange goods and services, and live our personal lives 

Group of people holding protest signs and a large banner, advocating for social, political, and economic justice, with trees and buildings in the background.
Group of people sitting around a table with gift bags, participating in a workshop or seminar, with a man and woman standing at the front near a large monitor.

Pomona Jobs Project (PJP): 

The Pomona Jobs Project (PJP) emerged from the Pomona Valley Wellbeing Project (PVWP) in partnership with the Latino & Latina Roundtable, the Ecological Civilization (EcoCiv), the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, Pomona community leaders and funding from the City of Pomona. The program wrapped up in 2025. Our mission was to support Pomona residents in securing meaningful, well-paying jobs that not only enhanced individual livelihoods but also strengthened the fabrics of the local community. PJP was designed to help participants build a sustainable future through employment. The program included an intensive 4-week program that prepares participants for “high road” careers with local employers. Our program focused on personal and professional development, and equipped individuals with the tools needed to thrive in today’s competitive job market. The program served over 100 individuals. 

A music studio with acoustic foam panels on the walls, people including a woman with headphones and a man playing an electric guitar, a person at a computer in front of a keyboard, and various musical equipment and decorations.

Cantores del Pueblo (Healing After COVID)

A creative space that aims to improve the community’s physical & mental health by addressing current issues through a popular education model and with a vision that creating music in community can heal and liberate. The project restores the role of singers & poets as voices for change, cultural preservation, and advocacy. 

Worker Owned Cooperatives

We are in the initial stages of developing a worker owned cooperative. With the support of local foundations, we will be launching our first worker owned cooperative. The goal is to provide our community with models of alternative economies that promote worker empowerment and wellbeing. 

A young person with a headband is speaking into a microphone at a protest or rally, with a group of people standing and sitting behind them. Some of the attendees are holding signs, one of which reads "Ethnic Studies @ PUSD." The protest is outdoors, near a street with palm trees and traffic lights. Most people are wearing masks.
Group of diverse young people and adults standing on steps in front of a historic building, wearing light blue t-shirts with a logo that reads 'College for All Coalition.' The scene appears to be a group photo at a community event or rally.

Education

Ethnic Studies 

As an organization, the Roundtable has made education one of our priorities. We examine the importance of incorporating ethnic studies within the K-12 curriculum and how members of the community can help make that a reality. 

How does the Roundtable define ethnic studies? 

    • Ethnic Studies focuses on teaching the history and culture of groups often left out of the mainstream curriculum. Ethnic Studies is the interdisciplinary field that addresses issues of race, gender, class, sexuality, and other social power dynamics.

The Roundtable’s position on ethnic studies:

  1. We support an Ethnic Studies Graduation Requirement at the Pomona Unified School District (PUSD) and the school Districts throughout the San Gabriel Valley. 

  2. We support the development of a year-long course that satisfies an Ethnic Studies Requirement. 

  3. We support the critical input of community members, students, alumni, teachers, professors, and other Ethnic Studies experts and advocates in terms of how an Ethnic Studies requirement should be implemented at Pomona Unified and other School Districts.  

  4. We support Professional Development in order to build the capacity of current teachers at Pomona Unified and other School Districts.  

College for All 

The Roundtable has committed to supporting and generating educational policies that foster leadership development, civic engagement, and a democratic culture for community empowerment and improvement.  The Roundtable spearheads a committee within the larger College for All coalition composed of parents, students, and community members, advocating for educational policies that foster civic engagement, leadership development, and democratic empowerment. As part of its goals, the committee is building a core group of Roundtable parents, students, and members as part of the College for All Coalition to support key educational bills, develop readiness programs in schools, create a pipeline between area colleges and schools, and advance access and retention in higher education. 

Scholarships 

The Roundtable provides two scholarships throughout the year to help members of our community pursue higher education. 

      • Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta Pilgrimage Scholarship: 

        • This scholarship has been established with the goal of assisting high school seniors who attend high schools in Pomona the opportunity to pursue their higher education goals while continuing their social consciousness and activism. 

      • Social Justice Scholarship: 

        • This scholarship is part of the Cesar Chavez Breakfast event and was established with the goal of assisting students who live in the San Gabriel and/or Pomona Valley the opportunity to pursue their higher education goals while continuing their social consciousness and activism 

Six people standing in front of a balloon arch, holding certificates at a graduation ceremony.
Group of people protesting outside a government building, holding signs with slogans like "Shut down Adelanto," "Justice for Tulis," "Free Ligaya," and "GABRIELA USA." Some signs have messages such as "Mel IC burn prisons" and "Geo poisons." A Mexican flag is visible among the protesters.

Immigration Rights

Renew DACA

 If you are a DACA recipient it is very important to renew as soon as possible. Below you will find a list of resources that assist with filing DACA as well as with financing the DACA renewal fee. 

Know Your Rights 

Regardless of your immigration status, you have guaranteed rights under the United States Constitution. 

Learn more here about your rights as an immigrant, and how to express them. 

Health  

The resource guide provides a list of affordable healthcare options in the state of California. The listings include healthcare provider contact information, hours of operation, the type of services offered and types of fees in 6 regions in California. 

LGBTQ+ 

    • The Los Angeles LGBT Center provides legal support for asylum seekers, among other services. Learn More. 

    • Local Center: Pomona Pride Center 235 W. Mission Blvd Pomona, CA 91766

Mental Health

Your Mental Health is Important 

While Latino communities show similar susceptibility to mental illness as the general population, unfortunately, we experience disparities in access to treatment and in the quality of treatment we receive. This inequality puts us at a higher risk for more severe and persistent forms of mental health conditions. 

  • Do you live in Claremont, La Verne, or Pomona? Do you need someone to talk to and are not currently enrolled in Tri-City services?  Learn more https://www.tricitymhs.org/ 

A group of four people attending a presentation in a conference room decorated with colorful papel picado banners. One woman is standing near a large screen displaying a slide about Tri-City Mental Health, and three attendees are seated facing her, listening and taking notes.