Red Oak is excited to share that the Red Oak Opportunity Foundation (ROOF) has awarded $65,000 to 6 very worthy East Bay nonprofits: Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, YES Nature to Neighborhoods, SOS! Richmond, the California Fire Safety Council, Earth Island Institute and LavaMaex.
This completes the donation of over $90,000 in funds that were raised in 2020. In the near future, ROOF plans to make additional awards with 2021 funds. With recommendations made by both Red Oak agents and staff, it was determined that some of the most pressing issues facing the East Bay include fire safety, homelessness and helping underprivileged youth, which is why we selected these wonderful charities.
For over 35 years, ROOF has been giving back to East Bay communities by donating funds to local nonprofits that might not receive significant funding from larger establishments. Each year Red Oak agents - along with staff members, clients, partners and friends - contribute to the foundation. Since its inception ROOF has distributed over $1.5 million across the East Bay, providing support to the unhoused, training for the unemployed, and educational resources to those in need, to name just a few.
We welcome you to learn more about these recipients and help support their missions:
For over twenty years, Rising Sun Center for Opportunity has worked at the intersection of economic equality and climate resilience. They have served more than 3,000 youth and adults while helping over 52,700 households reduce their carbon footprint.
YES Nature to Neighborhoods was founded on the belief that positive experiences in nature are a catalyst for individual and community transformation. The organization offers numerous programs for people of all ages with a mission to nurture leaders who champion the well-being of their communities.
SOS! Richmond stands for Safe Organized Spaces, bringing together both hands-on help and advocacy to address the challenge of homelessness in Richmond. This grass-roots organization builds connections between the housed and unhoused, provides hygiene and sanitation, reduces the need for first responder interventions, and provides jobs and job training.
The California Fire Safety Council's mission is to be a leader in community wildfire risk reduction and resiliency. The organization serves to facilitate a more efficient way of distributing federal funds on a local level for fire prevention efforts. The organization has provided over 900 grants totaling over $100 million to agencies and organizations throughout California.
On October 21, 2021, former Oakland Police Captain Ersie Joyner, a member of the Red Oak Family, suffered from a near-fatal assault. Through the grace of fast acting individuals - including Dr. Timothy Browder, the attending surgeon - Ersie is on the road to recovery. Many wonderful people reached out to donate to ROOF in Ersie’s name. On behalf of Dr. Browder, ROOF has sent funds to his chosen charitable organization, Earth Island Institute, a group that provides support to environmental action projects while also endorsing the next generation of environmental leaders in order to solve the crises that threaten life on Earth.
Back in 2019, Red Oak was introduced to an organization that was approaching the challenges of the unhoused (homelessness) on an extremely human level. LavaMaex coined the term "Radical Hospitality®" - a means of providing care in a way that aims to restore dignity, rekindle optimism and fuel a sense of opportunity to individuals living on the streets. Their vision is a world where hygiene is treated as a human right, and they have so far served over 100,000 people bringing them access to sanitation and hygiene services through their mobile showers, hand washing stations, and pop-up care villages.
If you or your company would like to contribute to ROOF, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, all donations are 100% tax-deductible and go directly to support your local East Bay neighbors. Click here to donate now.
