The Core of EBALDC is Resident Leadership

October 2020

45 Stories for 45 Years

Contributor: Beth Rosales, EBALDC Board Member

I came to this country from the Philippines when I was 13. When I was in high school, I volunteered to serve breakfast and read books to children of incarcerated parents that was a program of the Black Panther Party. I pursued ethnic studies in college and became involved in a number of nonprofit and advocacy organizations serving the AAPI community in the East Bay. Being part of the immigrant community in Oakland put me on a path to a lifetime of activism.

In 1975, I joined a group of college student activists and young professionals fiercely dedicated to serving the communities’ needs. We came up with the idea to renovate an abandoned warehouse in Chinatown, creating a hub for small businesses and nonprofits serving the AAPI community in Oakland. Together, we formed the Asian Resource Center that remains a community hub to this day. We realized the potential impact we could have if we continued to center the needs of the residents of Chinatown, and beyond, in community development and formed the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation based on this pillar of resident leadership and voice. My experiences with EBALDC and in Oakland equipped me for a long and fulfilling career in philanthropy and community service that took me across the country.

Nearly 40 years later, I found myself back in California with a chronic illness — and forced to apply for low-income housing. I was incredibly fortunate to secure housing at the Avalon in Emeryville, an affordable housing development intended primarily for people of color 55 years and older, and owned and operated by EBALDC. Beyond affordable housing, living at the Avalon has given me the opportunity to continue to serve this diverse community in a different capacity. I am involved in the tenants action council at the building and a number of different projects, including working with the City of Emeryville to construct a crosswalk on a busy street in front of our building and creating a community garden that provides residents and neighbors with fresh produce and a quiet place for respite. I am also a member of the Resident Leadership Council representing EBALDC tenants.

Because of my involvement with the Resident Leadership Council, and as a testament to their commitment to centering the leadership and voices of residents in community development, EBALDC leadership selected me to become the first resident to sit on the Board. I am proud to give a voice to the constituency that EBALDC serves in this capacity. But I am just the first; we hope to include many more resident voices not just on the Board, but at every level of the organization.

Resident engagement has been a core foundation of EBALDC since the beginning — I know because I was there — and remains a pillar of our Healthy Neighborhoods approach to community development today. It is the only way we can build an inclusive, equitable and healthy Oakland — together.

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:

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