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Safe Car Park Program Sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Alameda County

Published

7 years ago

September 5, 2019

In the midst of a growing homeless population in Alameda Count and as numbers have even doubled in Oakland, city staff is threatening to cut off funding to the Interfaith Council of Alameda’s Safe Car Program even though it was recommended by the city administration and unanimously approved by Oakland City Council.

Therefore, ICAC has revised its Safe Car Park Program. Mayor Libby Schaaf supports this program and wants to see the community use all three city-sponsored sites occupied to at least 50 perent capacity.

The newly revised program allows clients access in and out of their vehicles from 7 p.m. to midnight. From midnight to 7 a.m., the gates will be locked. This program is offered seven days a week, 365 days a year. There will be a smoking section – cigarettes only – on each site.

The program will help clients with minor auto repairs, some parking tickets (provided the City of Oakland reduces the parking ticket fees), DMV vehicle registration, emergency gas fund and personal care packages dependent on the availability of the funding.

Weekly showers and laundry services will be offered every Wednesday, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at ICAC Hub, 732 Willow St, Oakland.

In order for clients to receive the benefits from the program, they must enroll in the program online (interfaithac.org), by calling Scott Blake at 510-239-8832 or in person at one of the sites (listed below); agree to all of the program rules; sign a contract; and park daily consistently with no problems or unruly behavior for 30 days of the 90-day program. If all goes well, clients can receive a 90-day extension.

There are four ICAC Safe Car Park program sites: ICAC Hub/West Side Missionary Baptist Church, 732 Willow St.; Center Street Baptist Church, 940 Center St.; Corinthians Baptist Church, 928 Castrol St.; and Williams Chapel Baptist Church, 1410 10th Ave.

Mayor Schaaf and the Rev. Ken Chambers, president and founder of ICAC, agree that the rising homeless problems in this region requires “All Hands on Deck.”

Chambers is asking the Oakland Police, BART Police departments and the Oakland Housing Authority to refer clients to ICAC’s program instead of towing homeless clients’ vehicles which are so many families’ homes.

ICAC is hosting the follow-up to the July Regional Gathering on Housing, Homeless solutions and best practices on Thurs., Sept. 12th, 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. at ICAC’s Hub, 732 Willow St., Oakland.

Special Invited guests are BART Board President Bevan Dufty; BART Board Member Lateefah Simon (West Oakland Station); BART General Manager Rob Power; Jacquelyn McCormick, chief of staff of the office Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin; and City Community Housing Services Manager Lara Tannenbaum.

For ICAC’s Safe Car Park Program application go to http://www.interfaithac.org or Call ICAC program coordinator Scott Blake at 510-239-8832.

To make a donation go to www.interfaithac.org.

For homeless Safe Car Park program outreach community consultant opportunities, call Rev. Ken Chambers 510-239-6681.

Interfaith Council of Alameda County

Posts by Interfaith Council of Alameda County

Related Topics:City of Oakland ICAC Interfaith Council of Alameda Interfaith County Safe Car Park Program

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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

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post

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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

2 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.