Profile: Taller San Jose

Taller San Jose is a place where young people come when their lives have been broken and they need help putting the pieces back together.  “Brokenness” takes many forms – drug use, involvement with a gang, teen pregnancy, past criminal behavior, the tag of a high school “drop-out”, lack of job skills, time spent in jail, or a family that fell apart.  Taller San Jose exists to bring hope to young people whatever their circumstances and to “walk them out of poverty” through education, job-training, and strong, supportive relationships.

In English, the word “taller” means “a shop” – a place where one goes to get something fixed.  San Jose is Spanish for Saint Joseph – the patron of workers.  It is the goal of Taller San Jose that the young gain the skills they need to support themselves and their families through dignified work and a living wage.

Taller San was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange in 1995 to address the needs of undereducated and unskilled young people in Santa Ana and central Orange County.

Taller San Jose students are young adults who have decided to make a change in their lives towards goals and aspirations that were once inaccessible.  With the assistance of Taller San Jose students are able to recognize and seek out their true potential.