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Welcome to the District 5 Fall Newsletter! Whether you travelled to be with loved ones or stayed local, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with happiness and good food.
The holiday season is now officially here, and as you gather for celebrations, please remember that COVID, the flu, and RSV are circulating in the community. The best gift you can give yourself and those you care for is the gift of good health. Make sure you are up to date on vaccines and keep up those other healthy habits, such as frequent hand washing, staying home when you are sick, testing before you gather, and masking up in crowded indoor spaces.
It has been an especially busy season for my office, and we have hosted several community events, some of which are highlighted below. We are very happy to be back and keeping active holding in-person events once again and are looking forward to even more in 2024!
As always, if my office can be of any assistance with any county-related matters, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!
-Keith Carson
Community Resource Conversation
On October 25, our office hosted a Community Resource Conversation event that provided an opportunity for community-based organizations to better understand best practices, processes, and opportunities for grant funding and/or procurement contracting within the different levels of government.
Our speakers included key leaders from the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of State Assemblymember Mia Bonta, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, Alameda County Social Services Agency, and Alameda County General Services Agency. They each presented an overview of their respective best practices, processes for grant applications and/or procurement contracting, and grant/funding opportunities. In addition, there was an opportunity for speakers have an open discussion with participants about their challenges or barriers in accessing grant opportunities.
If you would like to view the presentation slides, CLICK HERE.
Making Connections 5.0
On October 28, our office hosted the Making Connections 5.0 Summit at the Cal State East Bay Campus, in Oakland. Making Connections was curated to increase information access, encourage collaboration, and to work together to create solutions to address the many disparities that impact organizations that are led by people of color. The intent was to create a summit that brings greater visibility to community-based organizations and leaders dedicated to serving communities that have traditionally received fewer resources. This was the fourth time bringing the community together for this type of effort.
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Our keynote speaker was Brandi Howard, CEO of the East Bay Community Foundation, who shared a high-level overview of the current work of her organization. She also highlighted the need for philanthropy to continue to support CBOs in our community. The day also included three panels on the following topics: A Collaborative Approach to Violence Prevention; A.I for Now, for the Future and For the People; and A Case for Reparations: Models and Strategies for Success.
Thank you to the outstanding speakers, volunteers, staff, and over 100 attendees who made this summit a success! Plans for our next event are already underway, and we will continue to bring the best and brightest thinkers to our region to help improve the quality of life for our residents.
Boards & Commissions Annual Meeting
Last month, Supervisor Carson hosted his Boards & Commissions Annual Meeting in person for the first time in four years. District 5 representatives serving on various Alameda County boards and commissions gathered together for light refreshments and to share updates on what their respective boards/commissions have been working on.
It was great to see so many of our appointees who give their time and expertise serving the residents of District 5! There were engaging conversations had and important networking that we hope will lead to greater collaboration.
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
Consumer Affairs Commission
Mental Health Advisory Board
Arts Commission
If you are interested in serving, visit www.acgov.org/bnc/#/home to view current vacancies and to apply for an appointment.
Consumer Fraud Workshop
On November 4, our office partnered with the Alameda County Consumer Affairs Commission and Berkeley Vice Mayor Ben Bartlett to host a community presentation about scams targeting seniors. The presentation was held in-person at the South Berkeley Senior Center.
Jennifer Pardini, Community Education Coordinator at Legal Assistance for Seniors, gave an outstanding presentation covering common scams and how to recognize them, from door-to-door sales and text messages to fake lotteries and Medicare fraud. Jennifer also provided practical tips for protecting important information, how to report fraud, and what resources are available to provide assistance.
To view the presentation slides, CLICK HERE.
District 5 Holiday Party
Join Supervisor Keith Carson and Staff for our District 5 Holiday Party - back in person for the first time in 4 years!
Monday, December 11, 2023
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Ed Roberts Campus
3075 Adeline Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
Please consider bringing a donation of NEW, UNUSED bath towels for Insight Housing (formerly Berkeley Food and Housing Project). You may also make a financial contribution directly to Insight Housing HERE.
Attendance is FREE. Light refreshments will be served.
RSVP HERE
Staff Spotlight
Team Carson has grown! Please welcome the newest additions to our staff, Ashley Isles and Liyu Woldemichael. Learn more about them below.
We have also recently said farewell to our Field Representative, Breanna Decker. We miss her greatly and wish her great success as in her next venture!
Ashley Isles, Executive Assistant - Born in San Jose, Ashley been an East Bay resident her whole life. She attended cosmetology school, where she focused on makeup, and now has her own business doing bridal makeup. Ashley loves the outdoors; being at the beach is her favorite past time. Politics has always intrigued her growing up and she is honored to work for Supervisor Carson's office to learn more about the day-to-day work of an elected official and serving our community.
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Liyu Woldemichael, Local Policy Fellow – After graduating from Duke University where she studied Public Policy and African and African American studies, Liyu moved to Oakland where she served as a literacy teacher at a community school for elementary students. Liyu was raised in Montgomery, AL, where she was inspired by the city’s central civil rights legacy. She now joins Team Carson, where she is excited to support the team in implementing justice and equity focused policy that uplifts those most vulnerable in Alameda County. |
