Jen Freitas

Rubicon Programs

Rubicon's mission is to transform East Bay communities by equipping people to break the cycle of poverty. HOW WE WORK We equip and empower our participants to develop the economic mobility to move out of poverty. No one service can address the many challenges people living in poverty face — success comes from participation and achievement in four areas: Assets, Income, Wellness, and Connections. OUR IMPACT How will we know when we have successfully broken poverty? First, we need to ask the right questions. For decades, organizations have relied on metrics that do not truly measure economic mobility. Helping a person obtain a job – even if they keep that job for years – does not guarantee that they will no longer be living in poverty. Poverty is more than a lack of money. Poverty negatively impacts health and relationships, and it is reinforced by systems of oppression that keep people and communities isolated and disenfranchised. We work with participants for up to three years. We believe that meeting the following goals will reflect meaningful progress towards achieving mobility: 1. a job that pays wages at self-sufficiency level (for example, $28,000 annually in Alameda County for a single adult) 2. savings equal to one-month's budgeted expenses 3. ongoing healthcare coverage and a yearly physical exam 4. improved social connections through participation in community, civic or faith-based activities OUR HISTORY A nationally recognized nonprofit, Rubicon was founded in 1973. The name "Rubicon" refers to a decision from which there is no turning back – the beginning of the journey to change. Rubicon is one of just five organizations nationwide to be awarded a special federal grant to make sure parents coming out of the criminal justice system can provide financial and emotional support for their children and stay on the right side of the law.