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Santa Clara County honors CalWORKs Achievement Award winners and community partners
Summary
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors recognized CalWORKs recipients and named MetroED as Community Partner of the Year and Nefridi Beauty Supply and Salon as Employer of the Year during a ceremony of personal testimonials and program summaries.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on a meeting day recognized multiple recipients of the 2025 CalWORKs Achievement Awards and named the Metropolitan Education District (MetroED) Community Partner of the Year and Nefridi Beauty Supply and Salon Employer of the Year.
The awards highlighted individual success stories and the role of county services and community partners in helping participants secure housing, education and employment. Supervisors introduced honorees including Frank Delgadillo III and Lisa (surname not specified in the record), Ayanna McGee, Vanessa Sanmenigo, Fretzel Calpino and Daisy Garnica.
CalWORKs staff and supervisors outlined case histories in which recipients used county supports such as counseling, childcare, transportation assistance and employment counseling. The board said those services helped recipients obtain GEDs, enroll in postsecondary training, regain driving privileges, secure full-time employment and stabilize housing. Supervisor Renes (presenter) introduced Frank Delgadillo and Lisa and described long-term challenges they overcame including foster care, substance use and homelessness before accessing CalWORKs services that led to housing and work. Supervisor Young presented Ayanna McGee, who received help from an associate employment counselor and adult education programs and later obtained her high school diploma and entered a medical assisting program. Other presenters described similar trajectories for Vanessa Sanmenigo, who obtained full-time employment with LifeMoves after CalWORKs-supported job search and background clearance work; Fretzel Calpino, who completed certified nursing assistant training and began work at a senior living center; and Daisy Garnica, who completed digital skills certifications and entered paid work experience.
The board also recognized MetroED (Metropolitan Education District) as the 2025 CalWORKs Community Partner of the Year for providing adult education, career technical training and wraparound supports such as resume workshops, interview preparation and a career-closet program. Supervisor Arenas and other presenters credited MetroED for helping students obtain GEDs and vocational certificates that led to employment. Nefridi Beauty Supply and Salon, owned by Kim Coleman, was named Employer of the Year for mentoring participants and serving as a worksite for the county’s intern-and-earn program.
Recipients and county staff took photographs with board members and briefly addressed the board. Ayanna McGee told the board she was grateful for the support and the ceremony.
The board closed the presentation by thanking CalWORKs staff and partners for their role in the awardees’ outcomes and wishing the recipients success going forward.
