Multicultural Institute

I bought a 95 year old house in Berkeley that needs a lot of work. I’ve hired some truly talented and highly skilled people for $ 25/​hour. I’ve also hired some cleaning or really simple help for $ 15 per hour. The skilled guys are awesome, the $ 15/​hour guys can not do the skilled work, just FYI.
I am a huge fan and will continue to use them.
Here’s what we’ve done so far: Reglazing windows, painting, refinishing redwood window silks, drywall, leveling a brick patio, concrete work on my driveway, interior paint, stucco repairs, landscape cleanup, installing cedar shingles, installing finishing carpentry and wood trim, building a fence, and installing an Ipe deck.
The process for hiring with this organization is you call, text or email them. They are super responsive Monday through Friday. You just tell them why you want to do and they know who to refer and will tell you a good suggested rate. You can negotiate a bit. Frankly I pay a little more because I think they are still ¹⁄₃ the price of what a contractor would bill.
I just pay cash or check. Whichever the guys ask for.

What could be more natural … someone needs work done and another needs work to do … enter the Multicultural Institute ! ! ! Through the thoughtful and knowledgeable orientation of Josue at the Institute, Carlos (ready to work) and myself (ready to pay) arranged to meet at the job site. After six hours the large pile of gravel which for so long had resisted my singlehanded efforts was neatly stacked off site in sand bags awaiting some future deployment. Carlos and I exchanged our contact information, Josue followed up on the day’s outcome (as he does for each of the Institute’s day labor placements) and now, in keeping with this most natural of working environments, I write this favorable review to say that I will gladly use the Multicultural Institute’s day labor program services in the future. Thank you Carlos and Josue.

I have had excellent results in the day laborers I have gotten from this organization. Highly recommended.

I hired a laborer to help me move through the MI. Josue was extremely helpful in coordinating the effort and our laborer was hard working, respectful and MUCH cheaper than a moving company. The day labor program is extremely affordable for people working on their homes, moving, or just need extra help around the yard, and it finds jobs for people who need work. It’s a brilliant concept and a very noble cause.

Words cannot fully capture my appreciation for the team at MI. As a property manager for two properties, I have a near constant stream of minor, and sometimes significant issues. Time and again, the team of MI, have worked-​hand-​in-​glove to find a fit for what I need. In the rare instance in which I had an significant issue with a laborer, the MI team stepped-​in and went-​to-​bat for me.
Folks, let’s get real, MI is NOT an employment agency. The service is provided as a courtesy to folks like me in the community and the community they serve. If you are looking for laborer’s who will always show on time, have the exact skills you are looking for, there are a number of employment companies, such as Labor Ready., who may be a better fit for your exacting standards, but be prepared fill out a bunch of papers… and pay!
If you are willing to have some patience and understanding, you will be rewarded.
Aside from being satisfied with the support MI gives me, I have the satisfaction in knowing I am supporting an agency, who’s mission I am passionate about.

Aw shucks, I had a decent first run hiring day labor thru this center, but alas, the 2^nd & 3^rd tries fell through completely. My first success was perhaps the exception. The slow follow up and no shows left me without help & 3.5 yards of soil outside my home. Fortunately, I found the most ethical and experienced worker yet @4^th & Hearst.
Alas & in sum, the center does not make the work more reliable or successful. Instead, it’s just more expensive: (

This organization can be hit or miss, I’ve had great experiences and scheduling problems with them. However, I keep coming back because when they get the right people right to help with cleaning, moving or gardening, it really works. Much better than picking up a day laborer on the corner and hoping for the best.
The other thing that I really respect is that they have really tried to make the experience right after it hasn’t gone smoothly. So it does take some patience but a good way to support the community.

I cannot say enough great things about Paula Worby, the Associate Director of Multicultural Institute. She has been a huge help to SJC in assisting clients to gain legal status in the U.S. She has great connections with folks in other countries and is more than happy to help in anyway she can.
Because of her help in our recent deportation defense case, our client won asylum from Guatemala.
Thank you Paula!

I hired two workers to dig out my backyard for a patio. The Multicultural Institute (MI) was great to work with. I filled out the online request form on a Saturday, and they called me Monday morning to schedule two workers to come out to my house the following Saturday at 8am (my preference). I was happy that they would come directly to my house – I wasn’t crazy about the idea of driving down 4^th street and picking up some people in my car.
They talked through how the process works, and gave me a rate ($ 15/​hour, min 3 hrs). They answered all of my questions, and said they would call back and confirm on Friday who exactly would be coming to my house.
On Friday, they called to give me the name and number of one of the workers who would be coming to my house. Saturday morning at 8am sharp, the workers arrived. They were polite, and worked hard for 8 hours. I bought them lunch, and paid them $ 15/​hr plus tip.
Unfortunately they weren’t able to finish the whole project in one day, but they agreed to come back Monday at 8am to finish it up, which they did. MI even called me the following day to ask how it all went – when was the last time a company did that for you?
All in all a great experience – great customer service and value. I will definitely use Multicultural Institute again.

Talked to Miguel again and he arranged to have Fred and Jesus to come work for 3 hours helping with landscaping/​yard clean up (they have a 3 hr min). I went to the church on 9^th and Hearst, they followed me to our biz and did a great job above and beyond what I asked for in some situations, made everything extra tidy and worked fast. Took off when done. They were perfectly respectful gentlemen. Paid $ 15 per hr each plus a tip, plus gave them some fruit and water during a break.

So my husband took the GED preparation there, it is just math, by the way, anyway, he enjoyed the class and the teacher. He took the class 2 times before taking the exam.
If you have your exam, there is a little graduation ceremony, it is cute.
But the thing is that they told my husband that he did passed the test, but he never received the diploma, so told him they gonna check on that and call him back…
during 3 weeks nobody never called him back, answered his phone calls ect… so he decided to go to exam center, where they told him that he missed one subject (he got a good score in math by the way) but seriously, you should respect your student a little more, you can make mistake but you own your student the truth !
I mean when an adult take his GED, it’s because he plans on doing something with his life, maybe going to college, and need a clear answer…
I don’t recommend this place at all…

I was new to the Berkeley area and was in desperate need of reliable and kind child care. I coincidently saw an article that ran in the East Bay Express about six months after moving here and after having gone through a few different child care providers I decided to send in a request. I was called back the same day I submitted the request and the man I spoke to was very helpful. I was able to interview a few different people for the job and was able to hire someone who helped take care of my son for 2 years. Also when I needed to move I sent in a request and was able to hire two day workers who were very professional and helpful. I would (and have) recommended the Multicultural Institute to anyone who is looking for child care providers or is moving.

The Multicultural Institute has absolutely no respect for the neighborhood in which they reside. I have complained for months over the day labors loitering outside the day labor pickup zones designated by the City of Berkeley. The day labors stand on my property (they have soiled my fence), leave trash and can be extremely loud (they have waken me). I am not able to open my curtains unless I want the day labors to look directly into my apartment (and they do, like my life is a movie). When I first moved in, it was a little annoying, but it has become an invasion of my privacy. Since I am disabled and spend much time at home; the fact that they are right outside my home eight hours a day seven days week, they track my every move. I had a woman come to help me run errands. She would also take me on outings, but the day worker’s sheer numbers and proximity to my front door made her so uncomfortable that she would prefer not to visit. This was the response I received from their Associate Director, Paula Worby:
«In any case, the city has been clear (based on hearing from some neighbors) about being displeased with day laborers standing east of 6thbut as long as people are on the sidewalks and not creating noteworthy problems, there is nothing illegal about their presence there. Also, you should know that your neighbor, the Good Shepherd Church that owns three adjoining properties on that Hearst/​9^th street corner, have been very explicit about their steps and property being open to day laborers – in their terms, they see it as a sanctuary space. We use their parish hall for regular programs on Fridays which is why you’d see more activity there that day. Their pastor, Este Cantor, is very open to getting to know neighbors – they open their doors every Wednesday morning for coffee and conversation (in part to connect neighbors with day laborers in a friendly way) so you should feel welcome in joining them some day.
We do our best to mitigate direct inconveniences experienced by neighbors such as yourself by respectfully asking the guys to think about your point of view; in your case that you are home all day and hoping to retain the peace and privacy that being in your own home should entail.»
On their website, they state that part of what they do is to «…stimulate positive transformation of individuals, families and communities.» I do not know how this possibly can be done, by encouraging actions that have a clear history with displeasing neighbors in the community in which I reside. Really, what kind of positive example is the Multicultural Institute sending to the day workers by encouraging them to disobey requests by the city in which they want to become a positive resident?
Don’t get me wrong, I applaud programs that have programs such as the Multicultural Institute, but not at the detriment of current residents. So please pick up day workers only on Hearst Avenue, west of 6^th St.