Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI) is a non-profit Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) health plan for seniors age 55 and older who prefer not to move into a nursing home but whose health problems make it impossible for them to stay at home without the help of caregivers.

Older adults can maintain their independence, dignity and quality of life because CEI provides all medical care (24 hours-a-day), a PACE Day Center, home care services and transportation so they do not need to move to a nursing home.

Center for Elders’ Independence is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving frail seniors in the East Bay since 1992.

Connect with Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI):

• Official Website
• Facebook

APEN seeks to empower low-income Asian Pacific Islander (API) communities to achieve environmental and social justice. APEN believes that the environment includes everything around us: where we live, work and play. And we strive to build grassroots organizations that will improve the health, well-being and political strength of our communities.

In 1991, there was a historic convening of the national environmental justice movement, the People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. At this convening, a group of fewer than 30 APIs among 600 activists of color realized that a vehicle was needed to represent the specific issues of concern to API communities.

APEN’s formation in 1993 reflected this growth of the national environmental justice movement and the recognition that API voices needed to be at the table.

Connect with Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN):

• Official Website

At Asian Health Services (AHS), their mission is to serve and advocate for the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community by ensuring access to health care services regardless of income, insurance status, immigration status, language, or culture. As an important part of this mission, they provide services in English and eight Asian languages: Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Lao, Mien, and Khmer. We offer medical and dental services for all ages.

Their mission, to serve and advocate for the medically underserved, including the immigrant and refugee Asian community, and to assure equal access to health care services regardless of income, insurance status, language, or culture.

Connect with Asian Health Services (AHS):

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

In the spirit of Bayanihan, the vision of Filipino Advocates for Justice is to foster a Filipino community with the power to advance social and economic justice, and to realize democratic and human rights for everyone.   Their mission is to build a strong and empowered Filipino community by organizing constituents, developing leaders, providing services, and advocating for policies that promote social and economic justice and equity for all.

Filipino Advocates for Justice, formerly Filipinos for Affirmative Action, was established in 1973 in response to the discrimination and alienation faced by the influx of immigrant newcomers from the Philippines. Their work is grounded in the spirit of Bayanihan (people helping people).

Connect with Filipino Advocates for Justice:

• Official Website
• Facebook

http://www.odalc.org – Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is an American hip-hop artist and actor. Video recorded in Oakland, CA, for the kick-off of Black History Month.

Black History Month is an observance of the history of the African diaspora in a number of countries outside of Africa. Since 1976, it is observed annually in the United States and Canada in February, while in the United Kingdom it is observed in October. In the U.S., Black History Month is also referred to as African-American History Month.

Special thanks to AT&T for hosting the event! Part of AT&T’s #att28days – http://att.com/28days.

“Oakland Digital” theme song by Malki Means King.

Video filmed & produced by Shaun Tai for SHAUN TAI Films, 925.297.9370, @shaun_tai.

Dream. Rise. Organize. Celebrate!

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2011, the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR) works to defend and expand the rights of all immigrants and refugees, regardless of immigration status. Since its founding in 1986, the organization has drawn membership from diverse immigrant communities, and actively builds alliances with social and economic justice partners around the country.

As part of a global movement for social and economic justice, NNIRR is committed to human rights as essential to securing healthy, safe and peaceful lives for all.

Connect with NNIRR:

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

Asian Immigrant Women Advocates (AIWA) was founded in 1983 in recognition of the needs of low-income Asian immigrant women. AIWA’s mission is to empower low-income, limited English speaking Asian immigrant women workers to stimulate positive changes in their workplaces, communities and broader society.

AIWA works with women workers employed in the garment, hotel, restaurant, electronics assembly and other low-wage industries in Oakland, San Francisco, and Santa Clara County’s “Silicon Valley”. AIWA seeks to empower women through education, leadership development and collective action, so that they can fight for dignity and justice in their working and living conditions.

Connect with AIWA

• Official Website

Coaching Corps encourages motivated college students to serve as volunteer coaches, mentors and role models in after-school sports programs serving girls and boys who live in some of our most underserved communities. These coaches not only teach kids sports skills, but also how to transfer those sports skills off of the field and into life.

They work to provide girls and boys living in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color with equal access to high-quality after-school sports programs and opportunities to improve their physical, emotional and social health.

Connect with Coaching Corps:

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

Non-Profit Dedicated To Improving Economic Conditions for Low-Income Communities in Oakland Achieves Milestones

December 31, 2011 – Oakland, Calif. – Oakland Digital (www.odalc.org), a 501(c)(3) non-profit that educates and inspires low-income communities through technology, brought the Hammer down on Oakland, wrapping a successful year with educational classes and capping it off with its second annual Inspiration Awards, honoring MC Hammer, singer/artist Goapele and technology leader Alex Bernstein of North Social.

With the City of Oakland often in the news this year, Oakland Digital worked quietly in the background to achieve progress for many of the city’s economically disadvantaged communities. Operating several classes teaching community members the tools needed to survive in the digital age, Oakland Digital’s efforts to educate and inspire community members using technology has been recognized by the City, the Mayor’s office and through sponsorships from local technology giants including Yahoo! Small Business and Pandora.

“Oakland is a city that inspires passion and commitment from its dedicated community members who know that there is a better Oakland for its people, and who are willing to devote their energies to this cause,” said Shaun Tai, Executive Director at Oakland Digital. “This year showed how much we can achieve together to improve the lives of people in Oakland and level the economic playing field. Oakland Digital is committed to continuing the momentum from this year and we are especially grateful to our sponsors, supporters and volunteers.”

Oakland Digital’s 2012 programs will include “Inspire Oakland” for students and “Digital Equity” for small businesses assisting underserved individuals with training and educational opportunities to become effective members of the digital economy.

In December, Oakland Digital held its second annual Inspiration Awards ceremony.  Attended by nearly 200 influential community leaders and with sponsorship from Yahoo! Small Business, North Social, Comcast, Pandora and Social Data Lab, the event achieved fundraising goals for the non-profit that will be used for 2012 programming.  Local Bay Area broadcasting legend Barbara Rodgers emceed the event and hip-hop artist Malki Means King closed the evening with a rousing, inspirational rap celebrating Oakland Digital and the beauty of Oakland that had the audience on their feet.

In his acceptance speech, Oakland-raised MC Hammer stated, “There has been a certain level of frustration watching technology evolve and watching new economies being made and not seeing enough participation from the underserved…The entire Oakland Digital team should be very proud of what they’ve created… it’s not only successful, but it’s encouraging hope. Hope is the missing element.”

The scene at the Inspiration Awards visibly moved its many attendees. As observed by Oakland Digital board member Norman Weekes, “This is the Oakland, where hope never dies and this is the Oakland that inspires us all.”

Asian Community Mental Health Services (ACMHS) provides multicultural and multilingual services, empowering the most vulnerable members of our community to lead healthy, productive and contributing lives.

Their vision is to grow as a responsive and innovative organization, embracing diversity and compassionate care, setting the standard of excellence for integrated services to Asian & Pacific Islander communities.

Connect with ACMHS:

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube