Dear (Contact First Name),
What an eventful month at HOPE Collaborative! We have loved every moment of celebrating the many successes of our work with you all. Fresh Fest, a mural unveiling and healthy food celebration at One Stop, and the Healthy Corner Store Chef Challenge Event, each attracted close to 100 attendees! We've also been sharing about our work in different forums, including our session entitled "Creating a Community-Owned Food System in Oakland" at NewCo Oakland, presentations at "Rethinking Convenience: Convenience Store Business and Healthy Communities" in Sacramento, a session on Healthy Development Guidelines at the American Planning Association California Conference, and the Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference. On top of all that, we onboarded approximately 20 new HOPE community members and youth in September, growing our amazing community. A huge welcome to our new members and a thank you to our on-going supporters and partners!
|
|
Join Our Team: Become a Community Leader at HOPE
HOPE Collaborative is looking for dedicated Oakland residents to support our work. We are always looking for people who want to join in a support our activities and events in the community as
Action Team Members. Additionally, we are looking for people willing to take on a little more responsibility to support us in our outreach and engagement activities as a Project Leader. Stipends are available to support the participation of community residents.
(click link above for full description)
The Community Outreach Leader supports the promotion of HOPE and the work we do in the community. The goal of promoting HOPE to the broader community is to raise awareness of health inequity in Oakland; engage and recruit new members to get involved in projects; and increase turnout at events. This individual is expected to be the point person for co-coordinating and providing outreach support at community events. HOPE will provide training opportunities to Community Outreach leader to build and improve outreach skills.
|
|
|
Sarahy Dominguez, HOPE Youth Action Board Leader
|
|
| Sarahy Dominguez, Youth Action Board Leader. Photo: D Samuel Marsh Photography |
This month, we would like to highlight Sarahy Dominguez, Youth Action Board Leader. She is a senior at Oakland Technical High School and lives in the Fruitvale District. She has been involved as community leader with HOPE Collaborative for one year as part of the Youth Action Board (YAB)and recently stepped up to serve as the Youth Leader. In her new role, Sarahy is responsible for working with staff to coordinate and facilitate YAB meetings as well as sit on HOPE's Steering Committee to represent a youth voice in larger organizational conversations and decisions.
Sarahy is looking forward to continuing to build the leadership and skills she has cultivated over the past year at HOPE. As an active member of the Healthy Corner Store Team, she gets people to stop and take surveys in front of stores, reorganizes store shelves in stores to highlight healthy foods, prepares and offers food for taste testing, and participates in planning and leading corner store events. She recently served as a judge at HOPE's Chef Challenge event and spoke about her work with HOPE to a room of almost one hundred people. In Sarahy's own words: "I have developed so many new skills that I wouldn't have gotten anywhere else. During my time at HOPE I have become a team player and a team leader." Specifically, she appreciates how HOPE has helped her improve her public speaking skills and ability to communicate and work with a wide range of people. Sarahy is passionate about continuing to work for healthier Oakland communities, and she reflects, "I have learned that there is much change to be made within all communities in Oakland and you have to want to be a part of the change to achieve a change."
|
Chefs compete, create healthy 'corner store' dishes
|
|
|
A Southeast Asian kale and pinto bean chili made by Chef Sean Chow, a line cook at Hawker Fare, was voted the judges' winner at the Healthy Corner Store Chef Challenge.
Photo: D Samuel Marsh Photography
|
By Alix Wall, reprinted from Berkeleyside Nosh.
A Southeast Asian kale and pinto bean chili, a pita topped with za'atar, olive oil and fresh vegetables and a barley salad with tomatoes, green beans and feta were the finalists in HOPE Collaborative's Healthy Corner Store Chef Challenge. For this event, which was held at Oakland's Humanist Hall, HOPE put out a call to local chefs, asking them to come up with a healthy meal that could be easily made without a full kitchen and could be sold for around $5.
The chefs ranged from professional restaurant chefs, like Dennis Lee from San Francisco's Namu Gaji, to Mike Scoggins of Walnut Creek's Home of Chicken and Waffles, to Mary Downs of Berkeley's Bartavelle Coffee and Wine Bar, to several personal chefs, a farmers market chef, a Laney College culinary student, a chef who's also studying to become an herbalist, a freelance pastry chef, an enthusiastic home cook and two chefs who work with the 18 Reason's Cooking Matters program.
The goal of the event was to raise broader public awareness and support of the Healthy Corner Store Project, but also to "leverage the amazing foodie and restaurant community here in the Bay Area to better support food access for low income people," said Sabrina Wu, HOPE's project director. The event, which was emceed by Charlie Hallowell, chef/owner of Oakland's Pizzaiolo, Boot & Shoe Service and Penrose, attracted a crowd representing the diversity of Oakland. Michele Simon, who teaches a "Politics of Food" class at the Stockton-based University of the Pacific, brought her students to the event in lieu of attending class that evening.
"Rather than sitting in a classroom talking about food justice, I thought we'd come and be part of an event with people who are working in food justice every day," said Simon. "Problems around food justice can be rather depressing, and this event is positive in that you hear about how important even minor changes are. It's easy to talk about what's wrong, but with HOPE you can really see how a community group is changing things."
|
|
|
Oakland residents turned out in force Monday to sample dishes cooked by a diverse group of Bay Area chefs for HOPE Collaborative's Healthy Corner Market Chef Challenge.
Photo: D Samuel Marsh Photography
|
Attendees got a chance to meet each chef and try each dish and vote for their favorites, and a panel of judges chose their favorites based not only on taste, but on nutritional value, ease in making it in a corner store and being culturally appropriate.
With several dishes chosen, the HOPE Collaborative will now hold tastings - both of judge and audience favorites - in their partner markets.
"These community tastings are an important step before putting the winning recipes on the menu as they will allow us to get input directly from customers at the corner stores and residents who live nearby to ensure that the menu items are culturally appropriate and affordable for those communities," said Wu. "The recipes will be prepared on site at the stores so they will also allow us to test how feasible the recipes are for replication at the stores, given the infrastructure constraints the stores face. We will then invite the winning chefs to train store owners and employees on how to prepare the recipes."
HOPE's
first corner store tasting will be held at
Three Amigos Market, 1554 13th Ave, Oakland, on November 14 from 2-4PM.
|
Fresh Fest celebrates a major transformation for an East Oakland liquor store, One Stop
|
|
|
HOPE community partners,One Stop owners,and almost a hundred local children and families celebrate the transformation of One Stop from a liquor store to a healthier market. Clockwise from top left: Eastside Arts Alliance members Elena Serrano, Jose "Peps" Garcia, and Tarika Lewis; a fresh new look for One Stop with health promoting mural panels, an Acta Non Verba (ANV) after-school program participant shows off a delicious ANV tomato; Chelsea Charles (One Stop Owner) and Rev. Ineda Adesanya (Allen Temple) pose in front of a mural; local children enjoy sampling healthy snacks provided by ACPHD Nutrition Services and pedaling their own fresh fruit smoothies.
|
After serving East Oakland for nearly 40 years, One Stop Liquor on 84th Ave. and International Blvd. is partnering with HOPE Collaborative and its Healthy Corner Store Project to transform the store from a place mainly known for liquor and lotto ticket sales to a healthy corner store that supports a healthier community.
To celebrate the One Stop transformation, HOPE along with the Nutrition Services Division of Alameda County Public Health Department hosted FRESH FEST on Wednesday, September 30. The festival of fruits, veggies, fun-filled family activities, and arts for all drew over 100 children, families, and community members to celebrate the new look and healthy products in the store.
The highlight of FRESH FEST was the unveiling of four mural panels installed on the outside of the store depicting healthy food and water as a source of strength for families, children, and community. FRESH FEST attendees also had the opportunity to win a free bag of healthy groceries, enjoy healthy foods at taste testing stations, and sample new recipes from cooking demos. Those attending who were in to physical activity tested their hula hooping skills or pedaled up a fresh fruit smoothie on a bicycle blender.
"In addition to supporting community-driven, environmental changes that reduce health inequities in Oakland's most vulnerable communities, HOPE is dedicated to assisting the growth and expansion of entrepreneurs especially those with businesses in the City's flatlands," said Sabrina Wu, Project Director, HOPE Collaborative. "One Stop is one of the few African-American-owned liquor stores left in Oakland. Its rebirth serves as a catalyst for an emerging healthy East Oakland and its black cultural and business districts that are proposed along International Blvd.," added Wu.
According to Chelsea Charles, one of the One Stop owners, FRESH FEST will highlight some of the healthy changes that are being made at the store. "We're really excited that Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm is selling at the store its fresh produce which is grown a few blocks away," said Charles. "Our goal is to not only provide the community with greater choices for healthy food, but to also let the murals remind everyone how important food and water is to a healthy lifestyle."
The mural panels were designed by Tarika Lewis, the first female member of Oakland-based Black Panther Party and one of its leaders in starting their Free Breakfast Program. Her artwork, created in a class with young up and coming artists, draws on this legacy of the power of young people and residents to transform their communities and society. A grant from the Community Transformation Grant Program, and help from Oakland City Councilmember Kaplan to obtain additional funding from the City's Graffiti Abatement Program enabled HOPE to contract with East Side Arts Alliance to develop the health promoting mural panels.
The HOPE Healthy Corner Store Project is made possible in part through Alameda County Measure A Funds. HOPE's partners for FRESH FEST include Alameda County Public Health Department, Nutrition Services, Champions for Change; East Side Arts Alliance; Allen Temple Baptist Church; and Acta Non Verba: Youth Urban Farm.
|
HOPE and OFPC Take Good Food Action in DC
|
|
| Sabrina Wu (left), HOPE Project Director with Esperanza Pallana, OFPC Director outside Senator Feinstein's Office. |
HOPE Collaborative and Oakland Food Policy Council (OFPC) represented the interests of Oakland's food advocates on Capitol Hill as part of a Good Food Action Day organized by Union of Concerned Scientists. Sabrina Wu, HOPE Project Director, and Esperanza Pallana, OFPC Director, shared about the good food work in Oakland with Let's Move Executive Director Deb Eschmeyer at the White House; USDA staff representing multiple agencies across the Department, such as National Institute for Food and Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Food and Nutrition Services, Rural Development, and more; Congresswoman Barbara Lee's office; and Senator Dianne Feinstein's office. They discussed the value of community eligibility and how to increase access to free and reduced school meals, barriers faced by small producers and food businesses in accessing USDA funding and meeting food safety regulations, and the importance of centering equity in food policy discussions.
HOPE and OFPC were part of a larger delegation of grassroots community food projects across the country, which included groups from Alexandria, VA, Washington DC and Baltimore areas, Louisville, KY, Memphis, TN, and Minneapolis, MN. The focus of the group is to advance economic and racial equity in the food system and within federal food policy.
|
|
Promoting Healthy Development at Planning Conference
|
|
| Partners in the Healthy Development Guidelines process at the American Planning Association conference. From left to right: Darin Ranelletti, City of Oakland Planning Department; Anna Lee, PlaceMatters Alameda County Public Health Department; Maria Perez, East Oakland Building Healthy Communities; Esther Goolsby, HOPE Collaborative and Communities for a Better Environment; Nehanda Imara, Communities for a Better Environment; Jason Laub, Nautilus Group. |
How do we build partnerships to bring about healthy development that benefits all residents? That was the central question that we explored at a panel presentation on the Healthy Development Guidelines (HDG) at this year's California branch of the American Planning Association convention, which took place in Oakland from October 3-6, 2015. The panel included representatives from East Oakland Building Healthy Communities, Communities for a Better Environment, City of Oakland Planning Bureau, Alameda County Public Health Department, a market rate developer, and HOPE Collaborative Built Environment Action Team Co-Chair Esther Goolsby representing the resident voice that was central in the creation of the Healthy Development Guidelines.
The Healthy Development Guidelines (HDG) is a tool that will ensure that new development in Oakland is approved through a health equity lens, taking into account issues of food access, housing security, economic opportunity, and transit justice, and other health equity considerations. The panel focused on the tool development process, which was the result of some non-traditional partnerships between Oakland flatland residents, City Planning staff, Alameda County, for profit developers, and a number of community based organizations. These partners worked together to make sure the community voice was not lost as resident priorities were translated into policy language. This project has been an example of how community voices can be lifted up by a true multi-sector collaborative approach.
Esther Goolsby explains, "Trying to change the process or the policy is a lot of work. Doing that and sharing it with this group of people at the conference let me know that it has been a unique process and more cities can do it. Sharing my experience with others gives me great pleasure and hope of inspiring others to take action."
|
|
Youth are converging at HOPE Collaborative
|
|
| Returning youth leaders Sarahy Dominguez (middle right) and Bryan Lucero (end left) accompanied by former YAB members Austin Phal and Josiah McQuinn at a youth led corner store event this past July. |
Every autumn, the continuing Youth Action Board (YAB) members lead the arduous task of reviewing applications and selecting members for HOPE's youth leadership body. The process is difficult because the selection committee has to balance their practice of inclusion with finding motivated youth who will take action. The group reviewed 25 applications and invited 15 finalists to in-person meetings. After 2 days of meetings, the planning committee asked 14 new people to join the Youth Action Board. All of the applicants accepted.
This youth-led process is one of many ways community members lead the work and activities at HOPE. Many youth come motivated change their communities. A new member, Danny Rivera said, "I live on 98th avenue. I want to change the sidewalks because walking around the streets if the first impression people get of Oakland." Danny will have the opportunity to change his community in one of the 5 small teams of the Youth Action Board. This year's YAB cycle will have 5 focus areas including: the Healthy Corner Store Team to get better food in local stores, Elmhurst Neighborhood Team to improve the conditions of the Elmhurst neighborhood, FEEST to cook improvisational meals with youth, Youth Media Team to record real stories of people in the community, and the School Food Team to support student selection of healthy lunch menu items.
The new formation of the Youth Action Board is the largest it's been in the history of HOPE. This year youth members are from various high schools that include: Oakland High, Oakland Tech, CCPA, Life Academy, and Skyline. They also live in the various neighborhoods from East and West Oakland. The future is bright, and these 19 youth will lead the activities and be a guiding force for the future of HOPE and Oakland. HOPE Collaborative welcomes them and looks forward to all the amazing work in the coming year.
|
|
Stay tuned for more updates from the HOPE Collaborative. You can also visit us at
www.hopecollaborative.net
or connect with us on social media for more frequent updates.
     
HOPE Collaborative
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
Built Environment Action Team
(BEAT)
meeting
on
Tuesday, October 22
from
4-6pm
at
81st Ave Library
(1021 81st Ave.)
HOPE Steering Committee meeting on Tuesday, November 10 from 4-6pm at HOPE (221 Oak St., Suite D)
Community Health Fair
on
Saturday, November 14
from
11am-2pm
at
Tassafaronga Park
Chef Competition Community Tasting for the Healthy Corner Store Project on
Saturday, November 14
from
2-4pm
at Three Amigos Market
(1554 13th Ave)
Alameda County Social Services Agency
Farm Stand every
Monday from
10am-2pm at
Eastmont Self-Sufficiency Center (6955 Foothill Blvd.)
Every
Saturday from
10am-3pm, get fresh and healthy produce at the
Freedom Farmers Market (5316 Telegraph Ave.)
|
|
|
