Increasing the Strength of Our Community

December 2020

45 Stories for 45 Years

Contributor: Anthony “Tony” Martinez, Owner, Showers of Flowers 

I opened Showers of Flowers in West Oakland in 1983, the first florist shop in the community, inside the former Acorn Market space with the support of Acorn’s owner. As a West Oakland Native, it was an honor to live and work in the community where I had spent so many happy years with my family. 

Years ago, I worked with EBALDC through their first time homebuyers program. With their support, and matching funds they provided through Individual Development Accounts, I was able to save every dime I had to buy a house in Bayport Village — on the same plot of land I had grown up on with my family. 

So when the opportunity came to relocate my shop to the first floor of the Avalon, a residential building owned and operated by EBALDC in Emeryville, I jumped at the opportunity to join the tight knit community they helped build in the neighborhood. Our business community operates like a family along San Pablo. Even with a large company like Safeway, under EBALDC’s guidance, we help each other out. 

When COVID-19 hit, we weren’t sure our business was going to make it. But EBALDC launched the COVID Commercial Tenant Relief Program that really gave us a lifeline. Because of their support, we were able to put our flowers outside, get support in doing social media advertising, and even replace our inventory. The program has done some great things for us and made us look at different areas that we may have passed up from being in business for awhile. It brought us back to square one and all these new ideas are helping out a lot. 

EBALDC has provided comfort for our business whenever something goes wrong — as it always does in any type of business. They have also increased the strength of our community to make sure that we are able to run our businesses to accommodate each other, and to keep our business community going. That’s what I’ve seen EBALDC do over the last 38 years. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate that.

As EBALDC marks our 45th anniversary, we will be gathering more stories like this one from our friends, family, community members, partners and more stakeholders that have made our impact possible. We would be honored for you to join us:

  • Follow us on social media: @EBALDC

 

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