Resident Leadership Council Celebrates 2023 Members and Achievements

The Community Room at Jack London Gateway (JLG) Housing buzzed with energy on a recent Wednesday evening. Residents and staff gathered to recognize the work of the Resident Leadership Council in West Oakland, East Oakland, and Chinatown. The warmth and friendship in the room crackled like electricity as residents greeted each other with smiles and hugs.

“Tonight is a celebration,” said Davíd Cota, EBALDC’s Senior Community Organizer. “It’s about what the Resident Leadership Council did in 2023.” The EBALDC Resident Leadership Council’s mission is to: “connect neighborhoods and resources, and participate in community engagement, with a goal to create vibrant, healthy, stable, safe, and peaceful communities.” EBALDC’s support for residents’ leadership capacity and skills is rooted in our vision for Healthy Neighborhoods.

The Resident Leadership Council’s 2023 accomplishments included:

• Organizing a health fair in June at SPARC-It Place in Oakland that provided health-related information and services as well as free books and health screenings
• Partnering with Chinatown community organizations in staffing and coordinating Lincoln Summer Nights, a night of food, fun, community engagement and education, which happens every 2^nd Thursday from May through October
• Organizing and distributing care kits for unhoused neighbors in East Oakland
• Coordinating winter holiday party festivities and resident dinners in Lion Creek Crossings senior community
• Electing its first Steering Committee after a review and consideration of different leadership models.

After a delicious communal dinner, each of the RLC members present received a Certificate of Recognition. What was most striking about the presentation was the touching personal reflections from both Resident Services staff presenters and the resident leaders and the depth of friendship and heart emanating from everyone present. Tears flowed freely as residents spoke of the impact that participation in the group had had on their confidence, on their self-esteem, and on feeling like they had found purpose and meaning.

Resident Services staff noted that RLC members frequently exhibited a deep sense of care for their neighbors, sending people cards when they’re not well or experiencing a loss, helping provide rides to medical appointments for those without transportation, or just always being dependable and responsive when help was needed. For example, EBALDC staffer Kendra Robertson said of Beverly Smith: “She always shows up. She is always here for me and the community.”

EBALDC staff Monique Kennedy and resident leader Naomi Tonsall

Even at the event, RLC member Secret Peoples Vallara exhibited her tremendous capacity to provide support running up to offer a hand or a hug to every RLC member who trembled with tears speaking.

Resident leaders Nu Nuynh and Secret Peoples Vallara

And the feeling was mutual for the resident leaders about staff: “Whenever there are things I don’t understand, I ask her. I became a resident leader because of her encouragement,” said resident Nu Huynh about Lily Hu.

EBALDC staff Lily Hu and Resident leader Nu Huynh

Cathy Eberhardt thanked both Lily for “always listening to me” and David for “helping me so much in giving back to my community, helping me get on boards. He puts a lot of faith in me and always takes time out for me.”

Resident leader Cathy Eberhardt and EBALDC staff Lily Hu

Said Lily Hu of Cathy Eberhardt: “[during her many years in the RLC], Cathy has grown so much.”

Other residents spoke about the impact participating in the RLC had had on them, bringing both joy and purpose into their lives. Described by Monique Kennedy, Resident Services Manager, as “a calming voice in the midst of commotion” and affectionately called “Mom” by others in the resident leader cohort, 81-year-old longtime JLG resident Naomi Tonsall said participating in the RLC “has added to my life and brought a lot of friends to me.” 

Resident leader Miss Beverly Smith and EBALDC staff Kendra Robertson

Said Kendra Robertson about resident leader Miss Beverly: “Miss Beverly is fantastic. I can always depend on her. She always shows up. She is always here for me and the community.”

Resident leader Paul Seto and EBALDC staff Lily Hu

Resident Paul Seto through the assistance of an interpreter that he “really enjoy[s] being part of the group because I can help others. Having helped others, I feel happy and those who are helped also feel happy.”

EBALDC staff Monique Kennedy and resident leader Kokavulu Lumukanda

Said Kokavulu: “One of the things I’m so proud of is our ability to always come to consensus. That’s a hallmark of us as a Leadership Council.”  

EBALDC is grateful for the tremendous hard work and heart-filled service of all the 2023 Resident Leadership Council members, some of whom were not able to attend the celebration: Edwin T. (“Terry”) Blackmon, Fudi Cai, Cathy Eberhardt, Zhi Lun Gau, Marjorie Goolsby, Yang Ting He, Jackie Hopkins, Chun Huang, Nu Huynh, Maria Johnson, Kukuvulu Lumukanda, Diane McClendon, Ethel McCray, Dhaman Munassar, Beth Rosales, Paul Seto, Beverly Smith, and Naomi Tonsall, Althie Wheaton, Jiezhen Xie, Secret Peoples Vallara, Marcie Castello.

EBALDC is a nonprofit community development corporation that partners with residents and local leaders to co-create neighborhood solutions. As one of the region’s leading affordable housing developers, EBALDC serves nearly 6,000 people and 114 small businesses and nonprofits annually. For more information, visit www.ebaldc.org.