Two dedicated El Sol workers, Raul Morales, and Ricardo Juan Francisco, earned Worker of the Month honors for November and December respectively.
“They are both hard-working men who are always willing to help out at El Sol when they are not working or attending classes,” said Wilberto Luna, El Sol Labor Coordinator.
Morales, 51, originally from San Marcos, Guatemala can be found in the kitchen every morning making and serving coffee to fellow workers.
“I like El Sol very much and it has helped me and it is all for free so I like making the coffee,” Morales said. He obtained his high school equivalency diploma by attending night classes at Jupiter Community High School and attends El Sol English classes regularly. He proudly noted that he is now at level three.
Morales’ earlier life in Guatemala was marked by tragedy in 1984 when his mother and father were murdered during the decade-long civil unrest in that country. He said he was forced to move to another province after his parents were killed because he was fearful for his own life. Morales has also lived and worked in Georgia in addition to Immokalee, Homestead and Indiantown, going wherever there was work. He’s harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes and other crops.
Ricardo Juan Francisco, 40, Worker of the Month for December, is a native of Soloma, Guatemala, and like others, comes to El Sol in the hope of getting a job. He said he formerly owned a small clothing store in Guatemala.
Since coming to the United States he’s worked in construction and landscaping, and had a job for a time making barricades. Before coming to Jupiter Francisco lived in Riverside, California, where he worked in construction, and in Indiantown.
At El Sol, he attends English classes regularly and is never hesitant about volunteering at the El Sol Center. “When I don’t work I take English classes and if there is something that needs to be done here I can do it,” Francisco said. He also enjoys playing soccer on a team with others from El Sol.
Worker of the Month honors are awarded on the basis of various criteria, including participation in classes and community service activities. The honorees are given priority for jobs for three days.
Congratulations to Raul Morales and Ricardo Francisco for their well deserved honors.