Purpose-Driven. Community-Centered.
Your support builds opportunity, dignity, and stability for working families.
Mission
To promote healthy communities that value inclusion and respect, so that day laborers, domestic workers, and their families, may live and work with justice and dignity
A group of concerned local residents began building relationships with these workers and eventually formed the Board of Directors of the Graton Day Labor Center. They discovered that many of these hardworking men were forced to leave their families in rural Mexico due to the economic impact of NAFTA and globalization.
In 2002, the Graton Day Labor Center partnered with the North Bay Consensus Council to bring together community stakeholders in a consensus-building process. For over a year, workers, volunteers, business owners, local officials, and residents engaged in a mediated — and at times heated — dialogue about the appropriate size and scope of a labor center in Graton.
In 2004, The Graton Day Labor Center established a democratically managed hiring process on the street corner where most workers gathered to seek employment.
By 2007, Workers, organizers, and community members came together to celebrate the opening of the Graton Day Labor Center. Since the establishment of its democratic hiring process, thousands of men and women have secured employment through the Center.
Meet our Staff.
Mariana Martínez, PhD, is the Executive Director of the Graton Day Labor Center, where she leads strategic planning, staff leadership, and organizational development. She builds strong partnerships and guides programs that expand opportunities for day laborers and domestic workers, ensuring the Center continues to grow and empower its members.
Mariana Martinez, PHD
Executive Director
Karym Sanchez is a seasoned community organizer who is committed to the transformational work of building power. He works with the day laborers and domestic workers to reinforce the center's leadership structures through participation and leadership development. Karym builds trusting relationships with the workers in order to listen, identify issues, and guide workers in taking action.
Karym Sanchez
Lead Organizer
Raúl Barriga is the Program Coordinator at the Graton Day Labor Center, where he develops monthly outreach and program plans, coordinates partner visits, and supports wage justice education for day laborers and domestic workers. His coordination and community relationships strengthen the Center’s programs and impact.
Raul Barriga
Program Director
Julio Lopez is the Hiring Coordinator at the Graton Day Labor Center, where he helps connect skilled workers with meaningful job opportunities in the community. With a focus on fairness, organization, and strong communication, Julio ensures that each job is matched with the right worker while supporting the Center’s mission of dignity, equity, and economic opportunity for all.
Julio Lopez
Hiring Coordinator
