Alameda Boys & Girls Club
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
The Alameda Boys & Girls Club provides free membership for teens and reduced membership ($100 per year) for youth ages 12 and under. We offer afterschool programs and activities in computer science, sports, college/career exploration, music production, STEAM projects, and health & wellness.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? Mental health services, peer‐to‐peer communication skills
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? Intellectual and developmental learning disabilities
Family Violence Law Center (FVLC)
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
Founded in 1978, Family Violence Law Center (FVLC) helps diverse communities in Alameda County heal from domestic violence and sexual assault, advocating for justice and healthy relationships. FVLC's holistic service model includes both protection initiatives for people currently experiencing abuse ‐ including legal services, case management, advocacy within local police departments, and emergency housing and relocation services ‐ and prevention initiatives to eliminate future abuse such as violence prevention education, leadership training for youth, and community organizing and outreach. FVLC’s Alameda‐based Family Violence Prevention Project serves Alameda survivors by providing victims with: crisis counseling, safety planning, shelter and other service referrals; direct legal assistance obtaining protection orders and other family law orders; and legal representation in protective order, limited family law and housing matters. FVLC’s 24‐hour crisis response service, our Mobile Response Team, provides life‐saving safety net services to domestic violence survivors, often in the middle of the night and often when they are fleeing an immediate threat of abuse. During business hours, our services are available at our offices at the Alameda County Family Justice Center (located in Oakland), via phone and remote platforms, and we are always available to provide mobile services to survivors in crisis.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? The majority of FVLC clients are low‐income women of color with limited English proficiency. The greatest needs presented by FVLC clients include more attorneys to help with legal needs and in‐court representation, financial assistance for low‐income clients with children who are trying to extricate themselves from abuse, and access to safe and affordable housing.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? FVLC would like the public to understand the prevalence and scale of abuse in our local communities, and the escalating risk of danger and lethality for the survivor and for others when there is no intervention, as we have seen recently in the City of Alameda and other local jurisdictions. Domestic violence survivors are often particularly vulnerable when they enter the legal system: leaving is the most dangerous time; they have to face their abusers publicly in court; they often face housing instability; and their children frequently experience heightened stress and loss during this time. FVLC’s coordinated legal, advocacy and case management services improve the likelihood that survivors will remain engaged and housed during each crucial aspect of their recovery from domestic violence.
ONE NATION DREAM MAKERS
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
ONDM provides a variety of services to the community. We provide Food Distribution and Hot Prepared Meals to those battling food insecurity. We provide Veteran’s Support Services, Re‐Entry Services, and Workforce Development Services.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? The biggest need that we have identified is access. Those who we serve need to have access to the services and opportunities that are needed to uplift and foster progressive measures in their day‐to‐day actions.
Those who are battling food insecurity need broader access to nutritious food.
Those who are looking to better their stations in life, to bring a better and larger contributions to their households, neighborhoods, and communities need access to services that will increase the breadth and depth of their skills and abilities to better the job search abilities.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? We feel that an unknown or unseen element that is presented in the community that we serve is that a great majority of the communities we serve are in need. The current economic conditions are challenging to many community members and thus, need access to measures that can assist in mitigating their household budgetary needs. Many community members, at every level, are making tough decisions, regarding how they can and need to expend their finances. We have found that most community members desire to do better, to make stronger contributions to their households and communities; and are looking to enhance their plights, but people need access to services that bring forth opportunities.
LA CLINICA DE LA RAZA
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
La Clinica de La Raza (La Clinica) provides comprehensive health care services, including medical, dental, behavioral health, and health education.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE?
One of the biggest needs for the communities we serve is access to health care, particularly behavioral health services.
Other big needs are affordable housing, along with access to food.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND?
The communities La Clinica serves were some of the hardest affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic, in terms of infection rates, higher unemployment, food insecurity, loss of housing. The communities are still recovering from the impact of the pandemic in terms of these socio‐economic factors.
Alameda Family Services
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
1. Clinic and Community‐Based Mental Health Service
i. Individual, Group, and Family
ii. 0‐7 in‐home parenting support and mental health
2. School‐Based Mental Health
i. 3 Health and Wellness Centers
ii. Counseling on all 15 AUSD campuses
iii. Counseling to Charter and Private Schools
3. Family Support
a. Family Resource Center
4. Senior Services
a. Case Management and Counseling to Seniors at the Mastick Senior Center
5. Case Management
a. Enhanced Care Management (ECM)
b. Intensive Care Coordination (ICC)
6. Early Childhood Education
a. Head Start
b. Early Head Start
c. State Preschool Programming
7. Crisis Services a. CARE Team
i. Clinical Consultation
ii. Follow‐up Clinical Case Management
iii. Bridge Therapy
8. Therapeutic Services to Dignity Village
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE?
1. A Mobile Treatment Response unit made up of Social Workers/EMTs/Substance Counselors with lived experience that can be deployed to work with chronically mentally ill and substance abusing unhoused individuals who are refusing treatment/housing.
2. Expanded mental health services in the schools that would allow more days of service at high needs schools.
3. Truancy and Absenteeism focused case management and therapeutic support services for AUSD students.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? There are families who make too much money to qualify for government services but are still living in poverty. Poverty is one of the primary drivers for poor academic performance and low school attendance as well as exacerbating mental health concerns. The city’s universal income program is a fantastic start so perhaps increasing this program if the outcome data looks good.
Eden I&R
2. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
The 211 Alameda County Communication System is often the first step for vulnerable people who don’t know where to turn for help and are unsure of how to navigate the maze of government agencies and community‐based organizations that provide assistance. This free and simple three‐digit telephone number connects contacts in Alameda County with a live 211 Community Resource Specialist (CRS) who introduces them to various crisis intervention services, basic needs services, and strengthening services. 211 provides information and referrals to a variety of services, including affordable housing, job training, childcare, legal assistance, health services, emergency shelter, education, food, transportation, and other basic needs assistance. 211 Alameda County services are available 365 days per year, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Help is available in over 300 languages and all contacts are completely confidential. In addition to the 211 phone line, EIR connects clients to its comprehensive array of information and resources by:
Providing live two‐way texting for 211 services.
Maintaining 24‐hour access through the agency’s online resource finder, http://211alamedacounty.org/2‐1‐1‐alameda‐county‐resource‐finder/. Continuing updates and enhancements to the agency website (www.edenir.org), and the CHOICES housing website (www.achousingchoices.org), to make these even more powerful tools for those in need of affordable housing in Alameda County.
Serving as an essential communication tool for non‐life‐threatening information (e.g., road closures, temporary shelters and food provisions, medical services) during and after disasters such as earthquakes, floods, pandemics, and fires. Offering empowering, positive, and relevant disaster preparedness trainings, specifically focused on the needs of the community and the organizations that serve them.
Conducting outreach to targeted residents countywide (especially the most vulnerable) by making 211 information (e.g., 211 flyers, magnets, etc.) available at local organizations and businesses, as well as through social media and e‐ newsletters.
211 simplifies how residents connect to appropriate resources, via rigorously trained staff who know area services and understand the unique and often dire situations faced by its clients. 211 CRS assist in prioritizing client requests, building an action plan, and responding sensitively to the needs of people seeking help. Every 211 client receives the most accurate and up‐to‐date information from EIR’s extensive and detailed databases of health, housing, and human services. EIR routinely updates its Health and Human Services Database (containing nearly 2,500 active program descriptions in partnership with over 850 agencies) and Housing Database (with more than 74,000 housing units). 211 serves as the countywide contact center for Alameda County's Coordinated Entry System which assists homeless individuals and families with housing needs in a coordinated manner with multiple agencies throughout the county. 211 is also the point of entry for many struggling with homelessness and our staff screens them for CES eligibility, conducts housing problem solving and provides appropriate referrals and transfers to the county's ten Housing Resource Centers throughout Alameda County.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? The number one need for which Alameda residents contact 2‐1‐1, year after year, is housing. This has been exacerbated because of the Covid‐19 pandemic and includes rental assistance, utility assistance, as well as emergency shelter and transitional housing
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? Our 211 staff often hear directly from callers in need about challenges they face including about the safety net services (or lack thereof) in Alameda County. Though this is not unknown or unseen, it is worth confirming how few affordable housing and shelter resources there are to meet the actual need that exists. Additionally, 211 is receiving a lot of requests currently from callers for rental assistance and there are not enough resources to share. Same with legal resources around housing information and rights.
Legal assistance organizations are overwhelmed and cannot provide immediate assistance particularly for folks who are more upstream and might not have immediate and urgent needs. 211 staff also hear frequently about how challenging it can be for callers to navigate Alameda County’s Coordinated Entry System for the unhoused population.
Some people might be surprised to learn that even when a shelter bed is available for someone living in homelessness, they will sometimes opt to continue staying on the street/elsewhere because they’re unable to bring all of their belongings and/or their pet. Additionally, we have heard callers mention safety concerns and fear of abusive staff at emergency shelters.
Finally, we know that there are nowhere near enough interpreters/workers in Alameda County who speak Mam, an indigenous language spoken in parts of Oakland by Mexican immigrants.
Alameda Meals on Wheels
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
We have two programs, Alameda Meals on Wheels and Alameda Friendly Visitors, both of which provide support to Alameda residents regardless of age who are homebound or living in care facilities.
Alameda Meals on Wheels currently delivers a daily hot meal and snack to homebound recipients. We also provide supplemental food in the form of emergency food packs, Mercy Brown Bag deliveries, deliveries of food furnished by the Alameda Food Bank, and supplemental holiday meals prepared by local churches and other organizations.
Alameda Friendly Visitors pairs recipients living at home or in care facilities with volunteers who provide personal visits, phone calls, and other contacts on a periodic basis (usually at least weekly). The companionship helps to overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness and builds solid friendships through shared interests and conversations.
We have a Recipient Support Coordinator who actively assists in connecting our recipients with social services (transport, health care,
quality of life support, etc.). We also pair with
the Secret Santas private organization and others to provide holiday gifts and other items to brighten the lives of our recipients.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? Overcoming food insecurity and alleviating isolation and loneliness are the most critical needs for our clients. We actively discuss ways in which we can provide additional services while remaining within the scope of our charter and are exploring more emergency food packs and frozen meal deliveries, for example.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? Our daily food deliveries are often the only outside contact that many of our homebound recipients have. We have saved numerous lives over the years when people have fallen and the volunteer delivering food has discovered them and called for help.
Because AMOW serve recipients of any age or financial condition, we are ineligible for almost any government support. Individual donors and small businesses in the Alameda community provide nearly all of our funding.
BANANAS, Inc.
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
BANANAS provides programs and services primarily to families with young children. ● Child Care resources and referrals
● Parenting workshops and affinity groups
● Playgroups
● Family Navigators to support of unhoused families with young children (child care and navigation to other services)
● Family Navigators to support Fostering (Resource) parents ● Child Care subsidies for tuition for all early care and education settings ● Professional development for all early educators (licensed and license‐ exempt)
● Business incubator for aspiring and existing child care providers ● Tiny Steps (Head Start at family child care homes)
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? ● Affordable housing
● Shortage of early care and education settings that meet the needs of families
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? Families with young children are unhoused. They are couch‐surfing, living in cars, living in motels, living in shelters, and living on the street. Many work full time but are being displaced or evicted.
Alameda Dine and Connect
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
Alameda Dine and Connect provides a home‐cooked, hot meal once per week to the unsheltered or anyone in the community who is in need of a meal. Five different churches take turns preparing and cooking a nutritious meal with ingredients mostly provided by the Alameda Food Bank. We hand out the meals to guests who walk up, and provide meals to partner organizations (Building Futures and Village of Love ) who take the meals and distribute them to the unsheltered through their outreach workers.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? Being food insecure is extremely stressful. The people we serve are either unhoused, people with disabilities, or senior citizens who are trying to stretch their food dollars a little bit further. Since this program was started back in the summer of 918, we have watched the number of people in need of a decent meal grow.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? People are very very grateful to receive a home‐cooked meal and to know that there is someone who cares enough to ‘connect’ with them to hear their story.
We have developed relationships with our regular guests which has also helped some of them become more trusting of agencies that want to work with them to get them services for which they qualify.
ALAMEDA POINT COLLABORATIVE
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
The Alameda Point Collaborative provides permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless families and individuals from throughout Alameda County, utilizing repurposed military housing at Alameda Point. In addition to providing safe housing, APC provides residents with wrap around social services, including Case Management, Counseling, Therapy, Workforce Development, and Children and Youth Services.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? Based on our 25 years of experience, and our involvement in county wide homeless initiatives, the biggest need we see in the community is for services and funding to prevent homelessness or significantly shorten the amount of time one has to be homeless before being rehoused. To address that need APC is investing more than $1 million in the construction of a Resource Center to be housed at our Wellness Center Campus that will serve the needs of at‐risk or newly homeless City of Alameda residents. We have the space, we have the intent, but necessary funding for light‐subsidies and other resources are still lacking.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? Despite assumptions, nobody wants to be homeless, however there are occasions that people prefer being homeless rather than subject to restrictive or unsafe shelter conditions, or may not have lost the lifeskills needed to live inside due to trauma or other conditions.
Also the fastest growing homeless population are older people, who through a single life incident can quickly spiral into homelessness. They often do not have substance abuse issues but do often have critical health issues that can
quickly grow worse if not addressed.
Most households in American now have a relative, or close friend who at some point has become homeless.
Legal Assistance for Seniors
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
Legal Assistance for Seniors (LAS) provides free legal services, HICAP (Medicare) counseling, and community education to older adults in Alameda County.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE?
Affordable housing is both the most common need we see for our older adult clients, and the most impactful.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND?
There are so many older adults who worked hard all their lives and reasonably though they would be able to retire with a certain baseline amount of financial security. But the skyrocketing cost of living in the bay area have created a huge and increasing number of older adults who are not low income enough to qualify for most types of government assistance, but cannot afford to pay for basic necessities like housing, food, and their prescriptions/medical care.
ALAMEDA POINT COLLABORATIVE
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
The Alameda Point Collaborative provides permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless families and individuals from throughout Alameda County, utilizing repurposed military housing at Alameda Point. In addition to providing safe housing, APC provides residents with wrap around social services, including Case Management, Counseling, Therapy, Workforce Development, and Children and Youth Services.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? Based on our 25 years of experience, and our involvement in county wide homeless initiatives, the biggest need we see in the community is for services and funding to prevent homelessness or significantly shorten the amount of time one has to be homeless before being rehoused. To address that need APC is investing more than $1 million in the construction of a Resource Center to be housed at our Wellness Center Campus that will serve the needs of at‐risk or newly homeless City of Alameda residents. We have the space, we have the intent, but necessary funding for light‐subsidies and other resources are still lacking.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? Despite assumptions, nobody wants to be homeless, however there are occasions that people prefer being homeless rather than subject to restrictive or unsafe shelter conditions, or may not have lost the lifeskills needed to live inside due to trauma or other conditions.
Also the fastest growing homeless population are older people, who through a single life incident can quickly spiral into homelessness. They often do not have substance abuse issues but do often have critical health issues that can
quickly grow worse if not addressed.
Most households in American now have a relative, or close friend who at some point has become homeless.
Mercy Housing California
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
Mercy Housing, Inc is a developer, operator and service provider of affordable housing throughout the country. Mercy Housing Inc is the parent organization of Mercy Housing California. With over 10,300 units in California, MHC is known for successfully developing and operating high quality affordable housing communities, providing an affordable place to call home for thousands of low‐ income families, veterans, seniors, and people with special needs.
In California, MHC has provided service‐enriched housing for decades, with the philosophy that affordable housing is just one step in the process of building a stable, healthy life.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE?
Mercy Housing California believes that needs vary from each community we serve. We believe that the biggest need is tailoring a that individually addresses the tenants needs. As a result, we provide a service model that is adaptable towards the type of housing our developments provide, whether building a child‐care facility within our family properties, promoting activities to keep residents active in senior properties, or employing robust case management services to help our formerly homeless residents feel safe and comfortable in their new home.
In the City of Alameda, Mercy Housing California is proud to be working with Alameda Point Collaborative on 1245 McKay Senior Housing, providing 106 units of permanent supportive housing.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND?
Affordable housing enhances the wider community by bringing high‐ quality housing to a neighborhood, and often prioritizes those who have been displaced by the housing crisis, those who are currently living in substandard housing in the current community, or those who live in the community who are currently unhoused. It provides material relief to those struggles are often marginalized in the eyes of public and allows empowers residents now in stable housing to continually and further contribute to the social and economic development of their communities.
Legal Assistance for Seniors
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
Legal Assistance for Seniors (LAS) provides free legal services, HICAP (Medicare) counseling, and community education to older adults in Alameda County.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE?
Affordable housing is both the most common need we see for our older adult clients, and the most impactful.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND?
There are so many older adults who worked hard all their lives and reasonably though they would be able to retire with a certain baseline amount of financial security. But the skyrocketing cost of living in the bay area have created a huge and increasing number of older adults who are not low income enough to qualify for most types of government assistance, but cannot afford to pay for basic necessities like housing, food, and their prescriptions/medical care.
Eden Council for Hope and Opportunity
1. WHAT SERVICE DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDE?
We provide fair housing and landlord‐tenant services for the city of Alameda. Under our fair housing program, we investigate housing discrimination complaints. We also provide counseling, education, and mediation for both tenants and housing providers regarding fair housing issues.
Under our landlord‐tenant program, we provide counseling, education, and mediation to both tenants and housing providers regarding their rights and responsibilities. We also provide rental assistance for residents who are eligible.
2. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST NEED FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE? We find that our clients are really struggling to find affordable housing and/or keep their existing housing. High rents are forcing many residents out of the housing market. We need more resources for rental assistance and legal assistance to help fend off illegal evictions and displacement.
3. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS OFTEN UNKNOWN OR UNSEEN ABOUT THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE, WHICH WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND? I don't know if the city of Alameda is aware of the many Alameda families with children going to school in the Alameda Unified School District who are homeless. The City needs to provide more resources for our local schools so they can better provide support to meet the numerous needs that our homeless families are dealing with.