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After a nearly 3-year hiatus, I am pleased to welcome you back to the quarterly District 5 Newsletter! Never could we have imagined at the end of 2019 what the new year would have in store for us. It has been an incredibly difficult and stressful 3 years for each and every person in our community, from frontline workers to parents, and the impact continues for many. However, it does feel as though we have turned a significant corner.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is still very much with us, thanks to vaccines, treatments, testing, masking, and practicing smart health habits, many public activities and meetings have resumed, although perhaps slightly altered. It has been wonderful to be able to reconnect in-person with you over the past few months, whether at a street fair or a community meeting.
There is a great deal of important information to read about in this edition that I hope you will find useful, including Alameda County Emergency Preparedness Day, the African American Men's Leadership Group, and new additions to my staff.
As always, if my office can be of any assistance with any county-related matters, do not hesitate to reach out.
Please continue to practice healthy habits, and if you have not done so, now is the time to consider getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and the flu so that we can all have a happy and healthy new year.
Wishing you a blessed holiday season!
-Keith Carson
Alameda County Emergency Preparedness Day
The ongoing pandemic has taught us all that we need to be prepared to act and do all we can to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our community when the unexpected happens. Although we may not know when the next crisis will occur — whether it be earthquake, wildfire, or flood — we know there are things we can do right now to make sure we remain safe and healthy.
To make sure our community is better prepared, our office hosted Alameda County Emergency Preparedness Day on October 22 at Chabot Elementary School, in Oakland.
The event began with a keynote presentation given by Joe Grupalo from ZoneHaven, followed by a day full of informative and life-saving workshops on topics including how to stop bleeding, fire extinguisher training, community planning, and using every-day items for emergency preparedness. There was also a resource fair with many local organizations and agencies tabling throughout the day, and we distributed 300 free emergency go-bags.
Many thanks to all of our sponsors and presenters for making this day possible!
African American Men's Leadership Group
Last month, Supervisor Carson convened the African American Leadership Group; a powerful event that brought Black men from diverse backgrounds together to gather (in-person and virtually) and talk about the most pressing issues effecting the Black male community today.
The event kicked-off online with small groups discussing topics such as: job and employment opportunities, mental health, public safety, and mentorship.
Following the breakout groups was an insightful panel discussion with young Black males sharing their perspectives on life. This was the highlight of the event as it gave Black leaders an opportunity to listen, reflect, and give their insight on how to help and assist the next generation .
The goal of the Leadership Group was to spark more dialogue between the younger and older males, and it was a great success. Supervisor Carson and the participants look forward to more solution orientated discussions on how to address issues affecting Black men.
Regroup, Reflect, Reboot Community Meetings
Although the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prevented in-person events for over two years, the work Supervisor Carson and his staff focused on did not slow down – in fact, quite the opposite. Earlier this year, In an effort to reconvene with the District 5 community, the Supervisor hosted a series of virtual meetings, Regroup, Reflect, and Reboot with Keith.
Each of the meetings focused on different groups in our District, including: business associations and chambers of commerce, community-based organizations & nonprofits, neighborhood associations, and African American groups. During the meetings, Supervisor Carson had an opportunity to listen to comments and concerns from participants, including the impact the pandemic has had on their respective work. They were constructive and engaging conversations and helped to inform the Supervisor on the challenges that remain ahead, as well as opportunities for future partnership.
Thank you to all who took the time to participate!
Alameda County Resource & Job Fair
In September, Alameda County and Supervisor Carson hosted a Resource & Job Fair at Laney College to connect system-impacted and previously incarcerated people with different employers, CTE/Vocational training opportunities, educational opportunities, and other resources to help increase their success in the employment market.
In addition to meeting with potential employers (many of whom were offering on-the-spot interviews), there were barber and hairdresser services, interview wardrobes, and professional headshots provided to make sure everyone felt and looked their best while participating in the job search. There were also community resources, food, entertainment, and raffle prizes.
It was a great day with over 150 attendees, and job offers were made both on the day of the event and in the days following!
Boards & Commissions Annual Meeting
Earlier this fall, Supervisor Carson hosted his Boards & Commissions Annual Meeting. District 5 representatives serving on various Alameda County boards and commissions gathered together virtually to share updates on what their respective boards/commissions have been working on, and Supervisor Carson had an opportunity to update his appointees on the work of the Board of Supervisors. .
It was great to see so many of the individuals - albeit online - who give their time and expertise to serve the residents of our district. We are hopeful that we will resume our in-person gatherings in 2023!
Serving on a county board or commission is an impactful way to further engage with your local community and help shape government policy. District 5 has a number of vacant seats in need of filling, including:
- Advisory Commission on Aging
- Commission on the Status of Women
- Assessment Appeals Board
- Tree Advisory Board
- Consumer Affairs Commission
- Alameda County Fair Association Board of Directors
If you are interested in serving, visit www.acgov.org/bnc/#/home to view current vacancies and to apply for an appointment.
C4ES: Capacity for Equity & Success
The Capacity for Equity and Success (C4ES) is a pilot project created by Supervisor Carson and Alameda County Healthcare Services Agency, in partnership with Exceptional Community Connections, LLC. It is designed to work with small and emerging nonprofits and community based organizations (CBOs) in West Oakland to provide the opportunity to capacity build, grow, and expand their work in the community.
The pandemic unearthed longstanding issues that many CBOs in West Oakland experience, including not having the capacity to apply for government funding. Alameda County's work of providing essential community services would not be possible without the partnership of CBOs, who do so through the contracts process.
C4ES intends to enhance the capacity levels of West Oakland organizations and providers through direct support including: professional development, coaching and technical assistance, and access to a community enhancement funding. This project is crucial to the long-term health, equity and vitality of organizations serving West Oakland residents.
To learn more, visit c4es.info.
Staff Spotlight
Team Carson has grown! Please welcome the newest additions to our staff, Jordan Mitchell, Vince Steele, and Breeanna Decker. Learn more about them below.
We have also said farewell to several staff members - Emma Ishii, Briana Brown, and Lani Lewaseni. We miss them and wish them great success as they move on in their careers!
Jordan Mitchell, Local Policy Fellow. Jordan has been an East Bay resident his entire life, growing up in Pleasanton. He completed his AA in pollical Science at Las Positas College and then transferred to Washington State University to finish his Bachelor’s degree. He has always been passionate about politics since he was young and is excited for the opportunity to work for Supervisor Carson and the diverse community of District 5.
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Vince Steele, Policy Analyst. A native of Detroit, Vince is a longtime community activist and organizer. He served many years with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as a labor organizer, winning campaign victories for working class communities, such as “Fight for $15” which raised the minimum wage in Los Angeles. Vince also managed the organizing and representation departments of SEIU, local 99, negotiating contracts on behalf of the education workers of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Vince’s love for grassroots organizing and politics brought him to the Bay Area where he took on two non-profit Director positions. These roles allowed Vince an opportunity to build alliances with community stakeholders and city officials to reform our criminal justice system and center education equity in our schools.
Vince earned his Bachelor of Science from Cal State Dominguez Hills and his M.P.A. from the Goldman School of Public Policy at U.C Berkeley.
Breeanna Decker, Field Representative. Born and raised in Oakland, this is not the first time Breeanna has been a part of Team Carson. During her undergraduate years at Santa Clara University, she worked as a summer intern in our office, and while attending graduate school at the University of San Francisco, she worked as policy fellow, helping to resolve constituent issues, recognize local businesses that hire employees with untraditional backgrounds and experiences, and worked on a number of special projects. She also spent a summer working for the Children’s Defense Fund’s Oakland Freedom School as a Site Testing Coordinator, evaluating student reading levels.
After receiving her Master’s degree in Public Affairs, Breeanna began working for Urban Strategies Council as a Program Associate, managing opportunity youth and violence prevention initiatives. After 4 years, she took on the role of Program Manager in the Inclusive Regional Economic Development Unit at Jobs for the Future.
Breeanna is excited to be able to return to Supervisor Carson’s staff in her new capacity as Field Representative, as it is an opportunity to leverage her knowledge and her desire to be of service to the community she loves. |
