Long lines that started before daybreak, stretched well into the afternoon.
"I would have waited outside for three hours if I had to," said job applicant Tyemelia Jackson.
For unemployed veteran Marcello Aguilar, long lines and job fairs are nothing new.
"It is hard to find jobs here in the valley. I'm hoping I can be one of the fortunate guys to get hired," said Aguilar.
Aguilar was one of many applying for over a hundred jobs organizers hoped to fill with people from Wednesday’s job fair.
"It's an awesome feeling seeing the hope in the eyes of the people coming here," said Isa Baca, a coordinator.
Baca and others helped applicants sort through paper work and figure out which jobs might be right for them. New job openings ranged from nurses and custodians to information technology specialists. But after years of waiting, funding for the positions finally became available in Governor Jerry Brown's most recent budget.
"This day has been a long time coming but it's here and this is the first phase of having the home open," said Secretary of California Veterans Affairs Peter Gravett.
With his applications filled out and tests taken, Aguilar hopes today's job fair will be the fresh start he's been searching for.
"I'm just looking for anything, I'm just looking for work," said Aguilar.
