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West Contra Costa Schools Distribute 15,000 In-Home Testing Kits to Students

WCCUSD is making strides to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community and keep students safe. District staff and volunteers hosted two drive-in distribution sites on Sunday at Pinole Valley High School and Kennedy High School for families to receive a free in-home testing kit for students before returning to school on Monday, Jan. 3.

Published

4 years ago

January 10, 2022

Oakland Post

More than 5,000 cars at the two drive-through locations lined up to receive a testing kit.

By Post Staff

The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCSD) staff and volunteers distributed approximately 15,000 COVID-19 test kits to families on Sunday, Jan. 2, enabling more students to get tested before returning to school.

More than 5,000 cars at the two drive-through locations lined up to receive a testing kit.

“With a spike in cases in the country surrounding the omicron variant and the scarcity of in-home tests in stores, the rapid spread of the virus required an aggressive response to ensure safety in our school communities,” said Supt. Kenneth Chris Hurst, Ed.D.

The District received 28,000 kits late the afternoon of Dec. 30, 2022, during the winter break and right before New Year’s Eve from the Contra Costa County Office of Education through the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

The superintendent and executive staff teamed with the United Teachers of Richmond (UTR) and District support staff to quickly plan a way to distribute the kits to families.

“We appreciate the UTR members who volunteered to make this possible,” United Teachers of Richmond Union President Marissa Glidden said. “Testing is a crucial part of keeping our schools safe.”

The drive-through clinic is one of several steps the District is taking to keep students and staff safe.

“We received super-positive feedback from families, and many were grateful for getting access to tests and willing to wait in line in order to make it happen,” Pinole Valley High School Principal Kibby Kleiman said. “I was thrilled to be able to do even a small part to ensure that we have accurate and significant test numbers and (to) keep our schools safe and open during a global pandemic.”

WCCUSD is taking extra precautions to slow the spread of the virus by increasing testing capacity both in the number of kits distributed, and starting Tuesday, Jan. 4, the district opened three additional testing sites available to all students and staff districtwide.

Additional test kits from the drive-through event will be distributed to school sites as a one-time resource. Regular weekly testing and athletic testing are still available at school sites. Families do not have to make an appointment to receive regular or athletic weekly tests.

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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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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.