In this Issue:
- Alameda County Season of Sharing (SoS) Program
- The New General Assistance (GA) Online Application
- Four (4) Words Your Area Agency on Aging Wants You to Say, & Four (4) We Never Want to Hear Again
- Housing Assistance for Ukrainian (HAU) Program
- SAVE THE DATE: Alameda County 2025 Fatherhood Summit - Saturday, September 27, 2025
- 22nd Annual Healthy Living Festival
- Funding Opportunities
- Utility Assistance Programs Available Now
The Season of Sharing (SoS) Program provides one-time, financial assistance to Alameda County residents at high risk of homelessness, experiencing housing loss, or in critical need, including help covering essential utility bills such as electricity, gas, and water. The SoS Program is administered by the Alameda County Social Services Agency (ACSSA) in partnership with the Season of Sharing (SoS) Fund and community-based organizations. The SoS Program is now accepting requests for assistance.
Please note, the Alameda County SoS Program no longer accepts customer pre-screening by phone and the SoS phone line is no longer active. Clients requesting SoS assistance must apply via the new SoS Client Web Form (https://tinyurl.com/alamedacountysos).
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet all of the following requirements to be considered for assistance:
- Current Alameda County resident for at least six (6) continuous months
- No adult in the household has received SoS assistance within the last five (5) years
- Household is at risk of homelessness, experiencing housing instability, or currently unhoused
- Primary applicant is at least eighteen (18) years old
- Household has experienced an emergency or crisis within the past six (6) months, such as:
- Action by landlord or property management (e.g., eviction notice)
- Loss of income or delay in public benefits
- Medical disability or emergency
- Natural disaster such as fire, flood, etc. (Households may still be eligible for SoS assistance even if they've received aid from other programs, such as the American Red Cross, unless those programs have fully resolved the specific unmet need.)
Applicants must submit documentation validating residency, prior funding status, and the nature of the crisis. Meeting these criteria or completing the application does not guarantee funding; awards depend on available resources and documented hardship.
Types of Assistance
Assistance is intended to be short-term with the goal of promoting long-term stability. The primary assistance categories include:
|
Category
|
Examples
|
|
Housing Stability
|
Rent or mortgage arrears; security deposits for permanent housing
|
|
Utilities
|
Electricity, gas, or water bills at risk of shut-off
|
|
Medical Mobility Equipment
|
Medically necessary mobility aids not covered by insurance (e.g., wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, and canes)
|
Note: SoS may not cover all expenses owed by a household.
For more information on the SoS program: Season of Sharing and to email sos@acgov.org. To apply via the SoS Client Web Form, visit: https://tinyurl.com/alamedacountysos.
General Assistance (GA) provides cash aid to indigent adults and emancipated minors who are legal residents of Alameda County and have no other means of support. This state-mandated program is locally administered and funded by the County of Alameda.
Eligibility Requirements:
You may qualify for GA if you:
- Are a U.S. citizen or a legally present non-citizen with no restriction on your stay
- Have lived in Alameda County for at least 15 days
- Are an adult without dependent children or an emancipated minor
Eligibility is also based on income and property:
- Applicants may own up to $1,000 in personal property
- A car or a home you live in does not count toward this limit
Online Application Enhancements:
The Alameda County Social Services Agency (ACSSA) has launched an updated GA online application with the following features:
- Available in 7 threshold languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Cambodian, Farsi, and Vietnamese — plus Dari and Pashto
- Automatic translation based on selected language
- Option to download the completed application
- Option to email a copy to yourself or others
Although the application platform has been upgraded, the GA Online Application portal remains the same.
To apply, visit the on the ACSSA website here and click the ‘How to Apply’ tab.
 Pictured: All Ages and Stages. Maybe not all of Alameda County’s older adults will join 80-year-old Pepper Alexandria of Berkeley (l) on the dance stage. But the Alameda County Social Services Agency’s Area Agency on Aging (ACSSA-AAA) helps older residents and their families “Live Long, Stay Strong” in their own stages of life after 55!
Support a Vital National Campaign
This is really old news, over 50 years old in fact. But many people have never heard it, and that needs to change.
Since 1973, the USA’s Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and Title VI programs have supported the independence, dignity and quality of life for older adults and those who care for them. Aging successfully takes planning. Research shows that at some point on the aging journey, two-thirds of older adults will need some support to age well.
That’s why the Alameda County Social Services Agency’s-Area Agency on Aging (ACSSA-AAA) and our 600+ counterparts across the nation and Native America territories have joined the “Live Long, Stay Strong” public information campaign. Everyone needs to know how their local AAA or Title VI (Native American) program helps older adults and disabled residents age as independently and securely as possible.
“We hope [the words] ‘Live Long, Stay Strong’ will replace the four (4) words we hear too often: ‘If Only I’d Known,’” said Jennifer Stephens-Pierre, Program Manager, which is housed in ACSSA’s Adult and Aging Services Department. “‘If only I’d known I could get respite care for my dad with dementia, I could have made that doctor’s appointment I needed.’ ‘If only I’d known sooner about that music group at my senior center, I wouldn’t have felt lonely for so long.’ In Alameda County and across the nation, older and disabled adults and their families suffer needlessly because they don’t know about the information, programs, and services their AAA provides.”
Both directly and through a network of service providers, Alameda County’s AAA provides services including Family Caregiver Support programs, Food and Nutrition programs, Legal Assistance, Senior Information and Assistance, Long Term Care Ombudsman Services, Senior Center Services, Visiting, and Adult Day Care. The AAA also serves as a non-partisan advocate for policies and legislation affecting older and disabled residents.
How to turn “If Only I’d Known” into “Live Long, Stay Strong”
-
Did you know? You, your clients, neighbors, family, and friends can get help navigating services through the Aging and Disability Resource Connection and the Senior Information and Assistance Line: 800-510-2020.
-
Keep up to date with our Senior Update newsletter, as well as SSA’s publications and social media.
-
Visit! Stop by our tables at community events. And watch our website for updates about our programs, services, and events.
For more information on #LiveLongStayStrong in our County, contact the AAA.
Applications accepted through September 30, 2025
If you are a citizen or national of Ukraine or a non-Ukrainian who last habitually resided in Ukraine and were paroled into the United States between February 24, 2022, and September 30, 2024, or are a spouse, child, parent/legal guardian, or primary caregiver of a Ukrainian Humanitarian Parolees (UHP,) who was paroled into the U.S. after September 30, 2023, you may be eligible for the Housing Assistance for Ukrainians (HAU) program.
HAU is a program that provides housing and utility assistance as well as housing support services to eligible individuals. For more information, click on this link for the flyer.
If you live in Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland, Alameda, Piedmont, San Leandro or San Lorenzo, and would like to apply for HAU, contact:
Lao Family Community Development
Phone: (510) 694-0086 or (510) 533-8850
Email: zthein@lfcd.org
If you live in Hayward, Castro Valley, Unincorporated cities of Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, Fremont, Union City or Newark, and would like to apply for HAU, contact:
The Alliance For Community Wellness (La Familia)
Phone: (510) 935-9293
Email: mamini@livelafamilia.org
Join First 5 Alameda County’s Fathers Corps for the 2025 Fatherhood Summit. This free event will take place over the course of an entire day and is dedicated to honoring and supporting fathers and father figures throughout Alameda County.
Event Details:
- Saturday, September 27, 2025
- Oakland Marriott City Center - 1001 Broadway, Oakland, CA
Event Highlights:
-
Career Fair with local employers
-
Workshops on parenting, mental health, economic stability, and more
-
Inspiring speakers and networking
-
Community resource booths and giveaways
Since 2019, the Fatherhood Summit has brought together hundreds of fathers, service providers, and community partners to celebrate the important role fathers play in their families and communities. Led by the Fathers Corps, a First 5 initiative, the event is part of a larger effort to remove obstacles, encourage practices that welcome and support fathers, and ensure fathers receive the backing they need as caregivers and providers.
Throughout the year, the Fathers Corps supports service providers, organizes peer support groups, and champions efforts to improve health and social service systems. The annual Summit builds on this work by providing fathers with tools, opportunities to connect, and resources that help them thrive.
Get Involved:
- Host a table
- Lead a workshop
- Become a sponsor
- Invite the fathers and families you serve
Register at: https://www.first5alameda.org/fatherhoodsummit/
Contact: Fatherhoodsummit@first5alameda.org
Visit: https://www.first5alameda.org/fatherhoodsummit/
Exhibitor Table and Job Fair: Staff and/or partners can register to table using these links:
More info & updates: first5alameda.org/fatherhoodsummit
Let’s continue working together to strengthen families, uplift fathers, and create thriving communities across Alameda County.
|
