Holiday Food Resource

This holiday season, families are more in need of food than previous years.

One of our star partners, the Alameda County Community Food Bank, has a holiday help line that assists families in need.

The number to call is 1.800.870.FOOD to initiate the process detailed below:

When a person calls the helpline they will be greeted by one of the Food Bank's friendly volunteers that will assist the client access food the same day in their neighborhood. The helpline will ask the client a few personal confidential questions (such as their name, DOB, address, household size & income source).  With this information they will locate a pantry near their home.

The helpline will call the food pantry to verify that the pantry is open and have food available for the client to pick up. The client does not come to the ACCFB warehouse to pick up the food; rather it will be somewhere near the clients home.  

The type, quality and quantity of food varies depending on the food pantry. Some food pantries have multiple food programs such as EFB, USDA and pantry food.  Generally the pantry will try to give the client a 1-2 days of emergency food supply. The amount will also vary depending on how many persons are in the household.  

The client will also be informed of other programs they might be eligible for, such as USDA food commodities, CalFresh (food stamps), WIC, school meals, and senior programs. They will receive an information packet with all this material.

Please re-post and pass this along to get the word out that there are resources for families that need food for the holidays in Alameda County!

Gift of Hope

Have you ordered your gift of hope yet?















Each card that you order will give a student's family a bag of food for the weekend OR provide a book bag (with age-appropriate stories) to a child OR send a 5th-grader to science camp.

Each card will come with the gift that you specify and fall into these price ranges:
Weekend food bag: $4
Bring-home story bag: $35
Science camp scholarship: $125

Please call us at the office, or email Madalyn to find out how you can participate.

Thank you, Champions!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who participated in Faith Network's Champions for Children Walk/Run!
The event was a huge success with costumes, prizes and lots of friends and family. The weather was perfect for snocones after the race, and the youth marimba band made the day even sunnier with their peppy music. Overall, there were over 170 participants and volunteers. Several school students walked in order to raise money for their classes to go to science camp. The coveted iPad 2 went to Wilson Leong as the top fundraiser of almost $3,000!

Click here to see photos from the event.

Special thanks to our sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor:
Legato Capital Management LLC

Gold Sponsor:
The Morrison Foerster Foundation

Silver Sponsors:
Alameda Magazine
Kirby and Amy Wilcox
Oakland Magazine
Parents’ Press
PricewaterhouseCoopers

Participating Sponsors:
Bakesale Betty
Berkeley Bowl
Femi Macus
Great America
Great Western Power Co.
In-N-Out Burgers
Landmark Theatres
Monclair Bakery
Noah’s Bagels
Safeway: Fruitvale
Safeway: Redwood Rd.
Trader Joe’s
Union Bank
Village Market
Whole Foods
Z Cafe and Bar

School Closures Are Just the Beginning

Occupy Oakland has taken much of the spotlight off the vote that was cast yesterday concerning our public school system. With five board members approving and two against the proposal, five schools on the closure list will close at the end of this school year. These Oakland public schools are Lakeview, Lazear, Marshall, Maxwell Park and Santa Fe.

Faith Network has a volunteer presence in each of these schools; we have been developing relationships with Lakeview, Lezear and Santa Fe for over five years.
Katy Murphy of The Education Report took notes from the meeting, which can be found here.
Superintendent Tony Smith's plan for restructuring also includes the expansion (and potential relocation) of Burckhalter and Kaiser elementary schools, the merging of Sobrante Park Elementary and Madison Middle School, and uniting several of the small high schools on the Fremont and Castlemont campuses.


Another piece of the equation to consider is the announcement that ASCEND and Learning Without Limits are going to become charter schools, potentially taking 800 students from the OUSD public system. Through closing and restructuring, the school board hopes to save two million; with two schools going charter, OUSD will lose four million from the state.


It is speculated that ASCEND and Learning Without Limits voted to go charter in order to avoid being next for closure. Unfortunately, both schools are close to Lezear, a fact that could potentially make it more difficult for Lezear students to find nearby schooling options come the 2012-2013 school year.

Champions for Children

Champions for Children is in just nine days away.
Have you signed up yet?

Here is some inside information:
The top fundraiser will get an ipad 2.
There will be a local marimba band to play fun music at the event.
Some students will be diligently walking to raise money so they can go to science camp this year!
There will be lots of goodies just for showing up: magnets, snacks, prize drawings--courtesy of local businesses.
Costumes are definitely welcome--watch out for Grecian runners and other pedestrians in disguise!

Keep checking back for more details and updates!

Growing Hunger in the Bay Area

The New York Times recently published an article about the growing demand for food in Alameda County. The article mentioned the Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB), one of Faith Network's direct partners: "In September, the Alameda County Community Food Bank received 3,770 calls to its emergency food helpline — the highest volume of calls to date."

Many schools in Oakland have increased their nutritional programs, and now 90 schools offer free breakfast to all students. Some even allot some class time so that all students can eat together. A handful of after school programs will begin offering dinner to students who stay after school.

The goal is to give students the option of nutritious food--fresh fruit, juice, milk, bread, etc.--so that they can focus in the classroom. Faith Network volunteers help the ACCFB bag weekend food for families so that children will be well-fed and ready to learn on Mondays.

There is no way that a single organization can meet the growing nutritional needs of Oakland's students and families. Please read the article to learn more about other organizations that are trying to meet the need for free food in Alameda County. Also, please click here to learn how you can be a part of Faith Network's partnership with the ACCFB.

The Office of School Transformation

With all the commotion about school closures and consolidations, the introduction of "The Office of School Transformation" for the 2011-12012 school year has slipped under my radar.

All public K-8 schools are grouped into three regions. Each region is headed by an executive officer and all the public high schools in Oakland are in a single network with an executive officer as head. The new change for this year is an added Office of School Transformation. The goal of this additional network of schools is to lead the "transformation of the District's most challenged schools into high quality learning centers." The network, headed by Matthew Duffy, consists of five middle schools and six high schools that are mostly dispersed throughout East Oakland. All four schools that were named by the state Board of Education as "persistently low-achieving schools" are also in the network. Duffy, a former assistant principal from Harlem, served as principal of Elmhurst Community Prep, a school created from a small-schools initiative.

While I have not been able to find a publicized plan for how the OUSD intends to transform these eleven schools, I will definitely continue to update about this matter. This is a pivotal time for Oakland's public schools as the district seems to be taking on upper grade schools with the goal of transformation as well as the lower grades with the hope of consolidating resources.

ACCFB Recognizes Health4Kids

The Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB) is featuring Faith Network's Health4Kids food-bagging program! Our faithful Health4Kids volunteers have packed over 100,000 weekend bags of food that go to children that receive reduced-price school lunches in Oakland's public schools. These children might not receive adequate nutrition during weekends because their families are relying on the schools for sustenance on the weekdays.
Also featured in the video is FedEx--the delivery service that transports the bags of food from ACCFB to local schools for students and their families to take home.
Faith Network is honored a proud to be a part of this team!
Watch the video here.

School Zoning and Population

Oakland is in the midst of its countdown to announcing public schools that will be closing. On October 26th, the board will make its decisions about which schools to close.
Decisions are based not just on API scores and average daily attendance but also on the percentage of students attending the school that also live in its respective neighborhood. This last factor can prove controversial as a high-performing school (like Kaiser elementary) can close because most of its students are outside of its zoning parameter.

Because Faith Network has been following this story for the last month, I did some research into where students are going and coming from for school. I was surprised to find that many students--often a majority--do not go to school in their neighborhoods. Schools such as Emerson, Fruitvale and Burckhalter Elementary, three schools that have had long-standing relationships with Faith Network, have an average of about 60% of their student populations from outside their neighborhoods. Emerson, which has the highest percentage at 70%, is on the list for potential closure.

To view all the maps for Oakland public schools as well as charter schools, click here.

Schools Named for Potential Closure

Oakland Unified is coming closer to deciding which schools to close. After following through with their proposed plan of action and acting upon their set criteria, board member have been presented the following schools for "possible closure consideration"
Burckhalter*
Kaiser
Lakeview*
Lazear*
Marshall*
Maxwell Park*
Santa Fe*
Sobrante Park
*Schools that Faith Network serves


Two middle schools (Claremont and Frick) were also put on the list, but it is unlikely that either will close.


Please read Katy Murphy's article for the Tribune to get a better understanding of the various voices, concerns, and opinions that have been circulating around these looming proposals.

Oakland to Announce School Closures

On October 26th, Oakland will publicize a list of recommended school closures and consolidations. According to OUSD's presentation on August 24th, the consolidation will serve these purposes:

• Reinforce neighborhood schools by focusing decision-making on where children live, attend school, and where facilities are designed to sustain quality programs long-term.

• Increase access to quality alternatives by prioritizing placement of displaced students, expanding capacity in existing quality schools, and further investing in existing quality school programs.

• Reduce displacement of students and families by considering innovative program designs and the possible relocation of some school programs in tact.

• Consider a variety of factors in decision‐making by taking into account multiple district priorities.

• Integrate school closure among multiple strategies to achieve goals by also expanding school grade configurations, transforming low performing schools in high density areas, increasing quality options, and consolidating multiple schools into high quality single‐school options in some cases.

Currently, Oakland has 101 public schools to serve its 38,440 students. This is a high ratio considering that Clovis has 36 schools serving 38,000 students. In its 6-step process, it looks as though OUSD is going to consolidate low-ranking schools that are in proximity with other low-ranking schools (based on performance, school choice and fiscal health). Perhaps with joint resources, these schools can better serve their students.

For more information, please read Katy Murphy's blog entry in The Education Report.

A New School Year!

School year 2011-2012 is just around the corner!
Students of Oakland Unified will say goodbye to summer vacation this weekend as public schools welcome them back into the classroom on Monday.
This is an exciting time for Faith Network because we get to see our kids again and come alongside them in their growth process.

With increased staffing at Faith Network this year, we are hoping to develop new relationships with schools, deepen involvement with our current schools, and train new volunteers. Volunteers are, of course, the heartbeat of Faith Network. It is one of our many joys to see volunteers personally connecting with individual students.

For more information on volunteer opportunities, please visit our website. You can also take a look at our current volunteer wishlist here.

Statistics = individual lives

A new system for tracking students has helped California accrue its most accurate data about graduation rates. The statistics reveal that 37% of students enrolled in Oakland's public high schools have dropped out. The percentage soars to over 50% for black and Latino students.
In response to these dismal statistics, OUSD is focusing on chronically truant students and building more cultural awareness. A somewhat counter-intuitive strategy is adopting more stringent requirements for graduation. These requirements--that will be effective this fall--will hopefully challenge high school students so that they will want to stay in school rather than drop out because of a general lack of expectation.
For more information, read these two articles: one from the San Jose Mercury and one from the San Francisco Chronicle.

If you would like to make a difference, please read through our volunteer opportunities and contact the office to learn more about what you can do. The numbers may be daunting, but each of us has within the ability to come alongside an individual and bring hope. Policies and systems can be shaped by statistics, but it is up to caring individuals to affect lives through compassionate action. At Faith Network, we would like to see Oakland's graduation rates go up, but our first priority is being a constructive part of our children's growing up.

Walk, Run, Give

Faith Network is having our first ever walkathon!
Our hopes for this event are:

• raising funding and awareness to address growing needs in our public schools
• spreading the news about volunteer opportunities
• providing an event for businesses, congregations and individuals to meet and move towards a community cause
• having fun and appreciating Oakland's Lake Merritt!

Please visit this site in order to register as a team leader, sponsor, volunteer or individual walker/runner.
Anyone who registers will get an event T-shirt and there will be plenty of prizes, giveaways and a raffle!

Faith Network mourns the passing of Jah-Ress

Jah-Ress Combs was a student from East Oakland Pride Elementary who was in our Excel Reading Clinic.

I have never met Jah-Ress, but I went as a guest to his funeral to convey Faith Network's sorrow over his untimely passing. From the many people that stood to talk about Jah-Ress, I learned that he enjoyed watching the drums at his church, that he blessed others by picking flowers for them, and that he was always full of energy. At the age of seven, he had touched many lives with his exuberance and love.

The news of Jah-Ress' passing came in stark contrast to the joyous stories and pictures of our children’s summertime milestones: year-end celebrations, reading certificates, scholarships, camp experiences. It was difficult to witness a life cut short. At the same time, I felt a lot of hope because it was very clear that Faith Network is a part of the loving community that encouraged Jah-Ress’ as a student, joining the many friends and family out there that were similarly encouraging him in many other aspects of life.

Jah-Ress with his tutor, Chris

All the people present to support the Combs family—from a firefighter who responded to the call to school teachers from East Oakland Pride—were reminders that there are communities out there that surround the children we see in school. Whether celebrating success or being present in mourning, Faith Network has the privilege of being a part of this community by forming relationships and being a part of a palpable social network.

--Madalyn Wong (Faith Network Staff)

Save Our Schools March update

Anthony Cody reflects, with hope, on how the Save Our Schools March in Washington DC went. Though the number of marchers was smaller than anticipated--probably due to sweltering weather, travel constraints, and lack of publicity--he remains hopeful that the SOS movement will continue and gain momentum.
Read the interview here.

Save Our School March

This Saturday, July 30, thousands of educators, parents and students will convene in Washington, DC for the first Save Our Schools March & National Call to Action rally. They will march to the White House to demonstrate a call for "continued action to reclaim schools as places of learning, joy and democracy."
A smaller gathering is happening in Sacramento, California with a similar rally at the State Capitol.
A key proponent of SOS is former Oakland science schoolteacher Anthony Cody. In his critique of standardized testing, Cody speaks from his teaching experience, and gives reasons why he is going to march to the White House this Saturday.

Free Summer Lunch Program

The Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB) is offering Summer lunches for kids and teens. Anyone who is 18 years old and under can show up to one of many sites for a free, nutritious lunch!
This will be a valuable resource because, according to the ACCFB, 35 percent of people who rely on the food bank are children under the age of 18. This article from Oakland North explains the need that these summer meals fill and the benefits that they provide.

More information as well as flyers in different languages can be found here.

Faith Network has partnered with the ACCFB to provide bagged meals for kids during school weekends. If you are interested in volunteering during the school year, please visit Faith Network's website for our Health4Kids program.

Get Your Car Washed!

Sequoyah Community Church is partnering with Thurgood Elementary to help raise support for school programs. All donations will go to the school.

Thurgood Marshall Elementary
3400 Malcolm Avenue, 94605 (Near Oakland Zoo)
DATE: Saturday, April, 16, 2011
TIME: 10:00am - 2:00pm

Clean or dirty, bring your cars for a good cause!

Spring Volunteer Opportunities

Salad Bar Servers
4801 Lawton Avenue, Oakland 94609 | 2 hours a week
Emerson Elementary recently received a grant from Whole Foods, enabling them to offer a Salad Bar! They are looking for committed volunteers to serve food and to talk with kids about healthy eating from 10:30 - 12:30 each day. Training will be provided.

Food Baggers
Alameda County Community Food Bank | 2 hours every other week
7900 Edgewater Drive, Oakland 94621
Our dedicated food baggers are looking for new team members to join them as they now bag 1,800 bags of food for students in 18 schools.
Food bagging is every other Wednesday from 9:00 - 11:00am.

Contact: Natasha Hicks, volunteer director | natasha@faith-network.com, 510.836.5100

Come Celebrate Faith Network's 10th Anniversary!

Sunday, May 22nd

6pm — 8:30pm

Oakland Airport Hilton

International Ballroom

1 Hegenberger Road Oakland, CA94621

Semi-formal attire - Validated Parking - No host bar - Banquet dinner - Program  

  

Help us raise support by becoming a Table Sponsor or Event Sponsor.

For more information or to register, click on the image above.

U.S. Students Lag in Science Proficiency

The percentage of students in the United States proficient in science decreases steadily as grade level increases. This is a national concern as the world becomes more technologically competitive and dependent. Here is the article from the Boston Globe that gives specific statistics as well as addresses achievement gaps among people groups.

Furtures Elementary Faces Teacher Layoffs

Here are two articles of interest that shed light on the need within our local and national public school system:

Futures Elementary in East Oakland is one of Faith Network’s schools. Although we have Science Horizons, Succeeding by Reading and Health4Kids programs at this school, they are facing huge challenges. Here is the article from the Oakland Tribune with Principal Daubenspeck’s reaction to recent teacher layoff announcements.