A Letter from Melanie Moore & the Oakland Thrives Team
Oakland Partners,
Rise East celebrated a major fundraising milestone last week - $40 million raised toward our $50 million goal. It’s incredible how far we have come in just one year. Thank you to all of the community leaders, funding partners, and allies who have joined this historic effort.
In this update, I’m pleased to share the event video and photos, the list of Rise East funders, and a link to our new online store.
Myisha Robertson, Regina Jackson, and Carolyn Johnson at Raise East on May 23rd
On Thursday, the community leaders responsible for creating Rise East, a comprehensive 10-year-plan to invest in East Oakland, gathered with funding partners and allies to celebrate. Greg Hodge, Carolyn Johnson, Dr. Noha Aboelata, and Selena Wilson joined forces to describe early successes and call on funders to help close the remaining $10m gap. Tracy Wilson (left), a resident leader from the 40x40 People’s Advisory Council, shared her vision for a thriving East Oakland, while District 7 Councilmember Treva Reid and Tides CEO Janiece Evans-Page (right), brought down the house with their remarks.
Bottom Left: Greg Hodge, Brotherhood of Elders Network, Dr. Noha Aboelata, Roots Community Health, Melanie Moore, Oakland Thrives, Demetria Huntsman and Ray Colmenar, Akonadi Foundation.
Bottom Right: Kevin Hill, Brotherhood of Elders Network, Ari Curry, Black Cultural Zone, and Selena Wilson, East Oakland Youth Development Center.
We extend our deepest thanks to those who came out to celebrate with us and to all who have stepped up to invest in Rise East. More than 25 funders have committed gifts of $10,000 and above to help us reach this milestone. Check out the full list of Rise East funding partners and enjoy the photo gallery by Adriana Oyarzun.
This moving video captures the spirit and hope behind this historic effort. Special thanks to Jackie Downing of Vibrant Strategies for organizing the event and Justin Berton of Berton Media for producing the video. Please follow us on LinkedIn and repost the video to help us connect with new potential supporters.
Last but not least, you can show your support by donning some Rise East merch, now available to order on our website. All proceeds benefit Rise East. Shout out to Danielle Allen of 510 Media for the designs and Clyde Dennis of East Oakland Youth Development Center for modeling!
In partnership,
