Bay Area

Educators Donate Stimulus Checks to Help Local Families in Need

Published

6 years ago

April 16, 2020

Oakland educators are joining with community groups to ask teachers and other members of the community who have the financial means to contribute all or a portion of their soon-to-arrive federal government stimulus checks to help local families, particularly undocumented families, that are struggling to survive as a result of the public health and economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One effort is backed by the teachers’ union, the Oakland Education Association (OEA), working closely with other organizations in the community.

“We are going to be working with a fund that Centro Legal and other community groups have started to support our vulnerable youth, particularly new-comer undocumented students, homeless youth and foster youth,” said OEA President Keith Brown.

Centro Legal de la Raza has created the Oakland Undocumented Relief (OUR) Fund to “provide critical support to immigrant Oakland workers who have lost their jobs and income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the aggressive public health measures necessary to combat the spread of this disease.”

“While many Oaklanders can turn to existing safety net programs, including unemployment insurance, public benefits, and new federal and local relief efforts – undocumented workers are largely excluded from those programs. OUR Fund will address this critical gap in our social safety net and will help support the most vulnerable members of our community who are impacted by this crisis,” according to the Centro Legal website.

In addition to the teachers union, this fund is backed by the labor union Unite Here! Local 2850, the Unity Council and Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) the Bay.

The OUR Fund so far has 2,000 applicants, of whom 9% are Oakland residents, and about 75% have kids. According to organizers, the fund has already raised more than $50,000 and has begun issuing $500 grants.

They expect to distribute 500 payments by the end of the month.

To be eligible, applicants must have worked in Oakland, must not be eligible for unemployment benefits and have lost their job or income due to COVID-19.

Organizers say that 100% of individual donations go to families. Foundation money will pay for staff and other overhead costs.

Another effort, started by principals and other Oakland educators, is working through a website, StimulusPledge.org, and is backed by the Oakland Unified School District and the nonprofit Oakland Public Education Fund, which is in charge of distributing the donations.

So, far, this effort has received 89 donations and 67 pledges from teachers, school administrators and community members, said to organizer Anita Iverson-Comelo, a principal at Bridge Academy in Oakland, quoted in the East Bay (EB) Times.

Iverson-Comelo said she decided to organize the fund-raising drive when her husband learned they would receive stimulus checks.

“I couldn’t in good conscience keep it,” she said during a news conference quoted in the EB Times. So far, teachers and administrators at eight schools have signed to support the fund.

“As principals, we know there is a huge need in the community. Everyone is struggling, but undocumented families receive the least support and are particularly vulnerable,” she said.

For information about the OUR Fund and to apply for a grant, go to www.centrolegal.org/our-fund/

Ken Epstein

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Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 4 – 10, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.