Not far from the trucks rumbling down U.S. 183, in front of the tidy rows of colorful cabins that provide shelter for the present, a tall blue building at the gateway to the Esperanza Community stands for something else.
The future.
Next month, the first 30 students will file into this building, all Esperanza residents eager to learn well-paying trade skills that will be their path out of homelessness. Half will pursue certification as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, technicians. The other half will pursue certification as auto mechanics.
