Economy
Programs
For an organization with founding principles committed to environmental and cultural preservation, the road to comprehensive economic development was somewhat circuitous. The trajectory is well-illustrated by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MaB) Programme--namely that any sustainable and resilient progress in preservation work would need to actively engage the peoples living in those environments. Although this may seem obvious in retrospect, it was something of an “Aha!” moment for the organization. In community meeting after community meeting, the undeniable chief priority for every town, village or ejido was for increased economic opportunity. With this backdrop in mind, the International Sonoran Desert Alliance has spent the better part of the last decade working to build pathways to success, remove barriers to employment and empower aspiring entrepreneurs in starting new business enterprises. We are committed to growing resilient, sustainable and non-extractive Sonoran Desert Communities.
REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
We believe in employing local people to solve local problems. The latest American Community Survey Estimates show that the average Ajo home is significantly older than the state and county averages with more than half of the homes built before 1960 and approximately 16% of those built prior to 1940. While many of these homes were built to last, most are plagued by aging plumbing, out-of-date wiring, little insulation, and crumbling facades. The combination of old homes in need of repair, a high rate of poverty, and a high rate of homeownership creates a wide-spread problem of unsafe housing in our community. Through our Apprentice-to-Journeyman program, we are making home maintenance and upgrades more affordable while simultaneously training the next generation of local skilled tradesmen.
The Apprentice-to-Journeyman program is a three-year (4,000 hour) paid apprenticeship program sponsored by ISDA. Registered with both the AZ State Apprenticeship Office and the U.S. Department of Labor, apprentices are mentored by area handymen learning the basics of various building trades while working on both repair and renovation projects within Ajo and surrounding communities.
ISDA Community Learning Center
We believe that economic success of individuals, and hence the whole community, begins with education. Through the Community Learning Center, ISDA provides a host of lifelong learning and workforce readiness opportunities that include: Adult Basic Education, General Education Development (GED), Online High School Diploma, Instruction in Basic Computer Skills, Tertiary Education Support, Resume Writing and Job Interview Coaching. While the Learning Center has a strong focus on working with opportunity youth, services are open to everyone.
In addition to classroom-based activities, the ISDA Learning Center partners with local businesses to offer meaningful opportunities to develop job skills through real work experiences. Placements to date have included: Retail, Food Service, Grounds-keeping, Maintenance and as an Artisan Assistant. By combining a work study option with academic pursuits, Learning Center students are maximizing their marketability and honing important soft skills in the process. Having community business owners and managers as mentors is a fantastic way to connect an emerging workforce with the business community.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
Because Ajo is a community where 23% of residents are living below the poverty line, 13% are unemployed, and less than 50% of working age adults are in the workforce at all (with only half of those having full-time jobs), it is inevitable that many individuals and families come into crisis each year. ISDA is not a social service agency, but we firmly believe that resilient communities need strong networks of support. Through a robust network of partnerships that includes government (Pima County), the nonprofit sector (Wildfire and Catholic Community Services), and utilities (APS, AIC and Southwest Gas), ISDA is able to support struggling families in Ajo and the surrounding region. Services include:
Access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Minor Home Repair & Appliance Replacement
Emergency Utility Assistance
Home Energy Evaluations
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
We believe that a strong base of supportive services promotes strong Sonoran Desert communities.
Ajo Business support Center | Ajo Artisans online
The Ajo Business Support Center is a community-based resource organized to support local businesses, to promote e-commerce as a means of expanding market access beyond Ajo, and to support remote workers and businesses travelers while they are in Ajo. The business center space affords opportunities for member to co-work with others for networking and sharing insights. There are a variety of membership options available including: monthly, weekly and drop-in.
Benefits include access to business tools and equipment:
access to e-commerce platform: Ajo Artisans Online;
high speed fiber optic internet service;
computer workstations with business software including Microsoft Office, Photoshop Elements and Premiere;
Ricoh MP C3004 printer/copier with excellent color quality (30 ppm BW);
light tents for photography;
DIY packing and shipping setup, including scale, Rollo label printer, U-Line air pillow maker, and ample recycled materials;
cutting and folding machines;
dry mount press;
printing and design services provided by staff at cost, including the professional wide-format Epson P9000;
video conference facility;
TV monitor and projector
Members also have priority access to networking events, business development workshops, and other continuing education opportunities.
KICKSTART AJO
Kickstart Ajo is an outcome of a multi-year community development process in Ajo, AZ. During this process, a cross-sector group of organizations and individuals performed a comprehensive needs assessment resulting in a single community priority: To Increase the Number of Businesses Developed, Attracted and Retained. To this end, the Leadership for Sustainable Communities Cohort was convened in the summer of 2016. Through an Asset Based Community Development process facilitated by the ASU Lodestar Center, the Cohort developed a set of interventions designed to kickstart business activity in Ajo. With generous support from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation and engagement from the Ajo District Chamber of Commerce, 3-Nations Market, Ajo Artisans Online, and ISDA, the kickstarting process is already underway.
Kickstart Ajo resources include marketing and technical assistance, 1:1 matched savings, market vendor/grower mini-grants, low-interest revolving loan funds and tenant and facade improvement funds.
AJO WORKS STAFFING SERVICES
Ajo Works Staffing Service is a program of the International Sonoran Desert Alliance designed to aggregate part-time and irregular work into meaningful employment. By formalizing the employment relationship, Ajo Works Staffing Service helps bring the underground employment economy that is so prevalent in many at-risk communities, out of the shadows. All staffers are fully covered by Worker’s Compensation Insurance, pay into Social Security and are provided access to benefits like paid sick leave.
The service also allows emerging businesses to access regular employees without the added burden of running payroll and generating burdensome policies and procedures. Clients are billed a flat hourly fee that includes employee wages and overhead.
Potential employers interested in the program can contact the ISDA Main Office.
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