It takes a Village

March 2021

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation

45 Stories for 45 Years

Contributor: Amber Lamason, Director, Affordable Housing Program Compliance, FHLBank San Francisco, former EBALDC staff member

It is a best practice in community development to partner with neighborhood institutions and community members to support community needs. But in real life, these partnerships are incredibly difficult to start and maintain. Nonprofit and government staff are stretched thin; groups need to find funding for their collaborative ideas; and often institutions have conflicting approaches to the work. 

During my eight years at EBALDC, I learned that despite these challenges, responding to community needs by working together lifts institutions and people. 

I have dozens of stories of how EBALDC partnerships enabled what seemed impossible to become possible. But I just want to share one, the history of The Lion’s Pride Program and Havenscourt Youth Jobs Initiative.

The Lion’s Pride Program at EBALDC’s Lion Creek Crossings development was launched in partnership with the Havenscourt Lockwood elementary schools in 2011. The program was inspired after EBALDC staff toured the schools and discussed best practices with the principal and after school director. The local elementary schools were focused on improving math and reading, so their STEM curriculum was shifted to after school. To serve more youth, the Lion’s Pride Program mirrored the after-school program design and curriculum, serving kids in K-3 grade. After a few years, our program was at capacity, so in consultation with the Havenscourt Lockwood school staff and community parents, we expanded and started providing arts and nonviolence education through the Destiny Arts Center. Later, the local middle school staff told us that their counselors had huge wait lists and kids needed more support. 

So, we launched the Thriving Families Program to provide mental health counseling in partnership with Creative Health Services. When Chase Bank and the Warriors replaced our computer lab, we saw how excited the  teens were with access to new technology, so we partnered with the Hidden Genius Project to provide Summer Catalyst Technology classes. When our teens flocked to programs affiliated with jobs, and internships after the classes, we launched the Havenscourt Youth Jobs Initiative, in partnership with the United Way of the Bay Area, to host career explorations, hiring fairs, summer jobs, financial coaching, book clubs, as well as hire young adults to tutor younger kids in the after-school program. In 2011, the Lion’s Pride Program served 60 kids in grades K-3. In 2019, the combined programs served 237 kids and young people ages six to 21. 

Our little after school program became a kindergarten to career program thanks to partnerships and EBALDC’s willingness to adapt. 

None of this would be possible without a partner or community member telling us their needs; a partner bringing their expertise to Lion Creek Crossings in East Oakland, and a partner willing to vision and collaboratively seek funding to make it happen. EBALDC embodies community development best practices. And I am proud to have learned, despite the hardships, that this is the best way to work. 

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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