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Home of Chicken and Waffles Serves Free Christmas Brunch to Over 200

“This effort comes as many Oaklanders are experiencing increased food insecurity and economic anxiety due to the pandemic,” Oakland entrepreneur Derreck Johnson said. “After a one-year hiatus, this coalition was eager to bring this annual tradition back while being mindful of COVID’s social distancing and statewide indoor-masking guidelines.”

Published

4 years ago

January 5, 2022

Oakland Post

A child (center) holds a toy received at the Home of Chicken and Waffles as Derreck Johnson (right) looks on. Photo courtesy of Derreck Johnson.

By Cindy Williams

Home of Chicken and Waffles (HCW) opened its doors on Christmas morning to serve more than 200 free meals in the restaurant and to-go meals for the food insecure community in Oakland.

Oakland entrepreneur Derreck Johnson and HCW led the effort to partner with LGBTQ Center, Impact Oakland Now (ION), City Team, and The City Eats to distribute meals to low-income families and unhoused individuals at the restaurant at 444 Embarcadero West.

Johnson told the Post that he and his partners shared a common goal to provide food for needy families with a warm and welcoming dining experience delivered with respect and dignity at no cost.

More than 30 community volunteers helped serve chicken and waffles and handed out toys to the kids while they enjoyed soulful Christmas music.

“This effort comes as many Oaklanders are experiencing increased food insecurity and economic anxiety due to the pandemic,” Johnson said. “After a one-year hiatus, this coalition was eager to bring this annual tradition back while being mindful of COVID’s social distancing and statewide indoor-masking guidelines.”

The coalition recognizes co-coordinator Kieem Baker of The City Eats, Word of Assembly Church Bishop Keith Clarke, Abyssinian Baptist Church Bishop Kevin Barnes, Center of Hope Community Church Pastors Brondon and Maria Reems, Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Mike Wallace, True Vine Ministries Pastor Zachary Carey, Pastor Randy Smith, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church Bishop Joseph Simmons, and all of the volunteers that helped to make the event a success.

Johnson cited a 2015 California Health Interview Survey’s data for West and East Oakland which revealed that 51% of low-income residents were classified as “food insecure” because they were frequently unable to afford enough food.

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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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5 days ago

March 7, 2026

Oakland Post

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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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2 weeks ago

March 1, 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.