| Dear Friends,
It is my pleasure to update you on the work I have been doing to make Alameda County an even better place to call home.
In this edition of my newsletter you can read about the work I have been doing to help address the county's housing crisis, the youth career and job fair I co-sponsored in Alameda and the county update I held for the residents of San Lorenzo.
You can also learn about various community events I hosted in my district, my advocacy work to expand services to children and families, and much more.
It is an honor to serve you. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns that you may have regarding the district or Alameda County.
Sincerely,
Wilma Chan
Supervisor, Third District
Affordable Housing for ALL
Alameda
County has the fourth largest shortfall of affordable homes in California- with
an estimated shortage of over 60,000 homes for very low-income families. Today, many working families spend 50 percent
or more of their income on housing while at the same time, state and federal
funding for affordable homes has decreased by 89 percent.
Due to the crisis
facing Alameda County, the Board of Supervisors began the process to look at a
General Obligation bond as a way to fund affordable housing projects in the
county. The goal of the bond is to create and protect affordable housing
options for people that need it most in our community. In March of this year, I
led a community process to discuss county housing needs, receive feedback on
programs and engage community members about a potential countywide general
obligation housing bond. Additionally, throughout the month of May, each county
Supervisor held at least one town hall meeting in their district to inform and
educate their constituents about the housing bond and gather feedback.
In June, the
Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to place a $580 million affordable
housing bond on the November ballot. With the help of Alameda County elected
officials, policy makers, and community members, we have the opportunity to
keep families in their homes and help solve the housing crisis.
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Showtime in San Lorenzo
I was
delighted to co-host “Showtime in San Lorenzo” on Saturday, July 30, a free event that brought families and
neighbors together in celebration of San Lorenzo. Over 200 community residents
enjoyed the day, which included tours of the historic Lorenzo Theater and fun
outdoor activities, such as bounce houses, rock climbing and delicious food
trucks. I also conducted an hourly raffle of A’s tickets throughout the day. The
event ended with a showing of the movie Minions.
I was proud
to be part this fun community event and appreciate the many volunteers who
helped make it a great success. To see photos of the event on my Facebook page,
click here.
Congratulations Alameda Graduates
In May, I had the privilege of delivering the
keynote address at
the College of Alameda’s graduation. Over 150 students
participated in this year’s ceremony and the college presented over 600 degrees
and certificates to the Class of 2016.
Many College of Alameda graduates will be
transferring to four-year universities to continue their education. Many
others earned their associate’s degree or received career/technical education
that has prepared them to compete for jobs in high-demand industries, such as
diesel mechanics, aircraft maintenance, apparel design and computer information
systems.
Congratulations to the class of 2016
and best wishes for future success!
Free Tax Prep in San Lorenzo
 This tax
season, I partnered with the Alameda County Social Services Agency and United
Way of the Bay Area’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to provide
no-cost tax preparation services to low- and moderate-income tax payers. My San
Lorenzo district office was open on Monday and Wednesday evenings and all day
Saturdays from mid-January until tax day. VITA volunteers were able to serve
382 clients at my district office and saved families $610,763 in state and
federal taxes.
Additionally, eligible residents had
the opportunity to enroll in Medi-cal and CalFresh, register to vote,
and receive financial education and asset building resources. I would like to
thank the dedicated VITA volunteers who donated hundreds of hours to help almost
400 community residents complete their taxes.
Free tax preparation services will be
offered again at my San Lorenzo district office for the upcoming tax season starting
in mid-January. Stay tuned for more details!
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County Update
In March, I
held my first County Update at the
San Lorenzo Library where over 60 San Lorenzo area residents attended. Attendees had a chance to meet their
neighbors and make themselves familiar with the role of the county and learn
about upcoming projects. They heard presentations from various county agencies,
including the Library, Public Works, Fire Department, Sheriff’s Office, and the
Community Development Agency. Following the presentations, county agency
representatives made themselves available to answer questions and address
concerns that attendees had.
I would like
to thank county staff for their participation in this educational event as well
as the community residents who took the time out of their schedules to attend.
Alameda Youth Career & Job Fair
 This year, I
was pleased to once again co-sponsor the Youth Career Pathways and Job Fair at
Encinal High School with Alameda Unified School District (AUSD), the City of
Alameda, and the Alameda Collaborative for Children Youth and Their Families. Nearly 300 high school students attended the
free event where they had the opportunity to learn about employment in various
fields, apply for jobs and internships, and talk to representatives from
Peralta Colleges.
Over 40 employers, including Alameda
County agencies such as the Sheriff’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office and
the Probation Department spoke to students about their respective fields. We
know that connecting academics with career preparation results in higher
graduation rates, increased college enrollments, and higher earning potential.
By partnering with AUSD, local employers can play a vital role in helping
students achieve lifelong success.
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Preparing our Children for Success
Investing in children at a young age can play a critical role
in long-term academic and life success. That is why I partnered with Youth
Uprising, First 5 Alameda County, the Alameda County Public Health Department
and the Alameda County Social Services Agency to create a prenatal to age 8
pipeline of services for children and families in the Castlemont neighborhood
of Oakland.
This initiative focuses on providing families a coordinated
network of comprehensive services from birth to school age. It uses a “warm
hand-off” approach to help families smoothly transition between home visiting
programs into preschool or child care centers that better positions them for
long-term academic and life success.
Supporting our Youth Sports Leagues
 This summer, I was happy to once
again partner with the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’
Activities League (DSAL) to bring free,
year-round youth soccer to San Lorenzo area youth. My $5,000 contribution allowed more than 1,200 youth between the
ages of 5 and 17 years old to play in DSAL’s free summer soccer league. Nearly
60% of the youth participating in this year’s league live in San Lorenzo.
Sports play an important
role by teaching the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship and perseverance to
youth. This donation will ensure that youth in San Lorenzo and the greater
unincorporated part of Alameda County have access to positive after school and
weekend activities.
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Upcoming Events
SLZ Little League Flea Market
The San Lorenzo Little League hosts a monthly flea market to raise funds for youth sports. Join them for a fun day of shopping on September 25 at the San Lorenzo Little League Field on Grant Avenue in San Lorenzo from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Eden Night Live
Bring the family to
this fun-filled event every Friday and Saturday night through October 8 at
20100 Mission Blvd in Hayward. Enjoy activities for the whole family, including:
wall climbing, live DJs and performances, art classes, food trucks and local
vendors. Visit www.edennightlive.com for more information.
FamFest
Enjoy this FREE
community event that includes a 5K run and walk, fun activities for the family,
music and delicious food. The event will be happening on Saturday, October 15 at
the REACH Youth Center at 16335 East 14th Street in Ashland from 9:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.acfamfest.org.
Mind Your Money
Do you need help
with budgeting, future investments or family debt? Stop by the “Mind Your
Money” FREE financial planning day to speak to a professional financial planner
on Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Oakland City Hall. For
more information, visit www.financialplanningdays.org
First Fridays at the Oakland Asian
Cultural Center
Bring the family for
an evening of fun at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center every first Friday of
the month. Emeryville Taiko will be offering FREE taiko lessons at 7:00 p.m.
and 8:00 p.m. There will also be FREE workshops and fun activities like Chinese
checkers, tangrams, origami and more!
Free First Sunday at the Oakland
Museum of California
Enjoy FREE
admission at the Oakland Museum of California every first Sunday of the month.
The museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and is located at 1000 Oak
Street in Oakland.
Friday Nights at OMCA
Join the Oakland
Museum of California on the first Friday of every month for a festive night
market that includes, gourmet food trucks, live music and dance lessons. Get
creative at a FREE hands-on art workshop for all ages and enjoy select Friday
Storytime with the Oakland Public Library. Click here to learn more about Fridays at OMCA.
Community Resources
Boards and Commissions
Are you interested in serving Alameda County and
District 3? There are currently several openings to become a District 3
representative. Learn more at www.acgov.org/clerk/bcc.htm. Applications,
including a cover letter and resume, can be submitted to District3@acgov.org.
Healthy Homes
Lead poisoning,
asthma triggers, and safety issues in the home are a serious threat to our
children’s health. The Alameda County Healthy Homes Department has services to
help low-income residents and property owners make homes safer for young children. If you own a home or apartment building
built prior to 1978 in Alameda, Berkeley, Emeryville, or Oakland, you are
eligible for a free-in-home or phone consultation to help you identify and
reduce lead hazards. Other services include free lead paint repair and free
trainings. For more information or to sign up for these services, call
510-567-8280 or visit www.achhd.org.
AAA Senior Resource Guide
Alameda County’s Area Agency on Aging website has
elder service tips, news, and resources. Click
here to visit the website and learn more about resources available to
all seniors in Alameda County.
Alameda County Resource Guide
For information and referrals on
Alameda County programs, check out our resource guide: http://www.acgov.org/government/documents/ACResourceDirectory.pdf.
Starting a Local Business
Do you want to open
a business in Alameda County but don’t know where to begin? Alameda County has
two great guides that will help you get started:
-
Guide #1: Starting a Business in Alameda County
-
Guide #2: Starting a Business in Unincorporated Alameda County
- (Ashland, Castlewood, Castro
Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, Happy Valley, Hillcrest Knolls, San
Lorenzo, and Sunol)
East Bay Connects
Are you connected? East Bay Connects provides access to low-cost broadband for
as little as $10 a month. New broadband subscribers can receive a free home
computer, free digital literacy training, a year of free tech support, and
access to many resources to learn how to use broadband. For more information,
call East Bay Connects at (886) 460-7439 or contact James Nixon at (510)
377-7224 or jamesshurdinixon@gmail.com. |
