2024 Rise East Walking Tour

On October 10th, Rise East hosted our second annual tour of the 40x40 neighborhood. 50 funders and community leaders came together to see the incredible progress that is underway in East Oakland with funding from Rise East.

After gathering at East Oakland Youth Development Center for opening remarks, we began the tour with a visit to the future home of the Young People’s Wellness Center, a newly acquired building where Roots Community Health will offer a range of services to youth and young adults, from preventative care and mental health services to a cafe, barbershop and beauty salon, where youth can look and feel their best before job interviews and other important milestones. 

We also visited Clean 360, the social enterprise created by Roots to bring economic security to local residents with barriers to employment, where guests picked up soaps, candles and other gifts. 

Next up, neighborhood safety ambassadors from Black Cultural Zone led the group on a tour of three newly acquired properties. The first property on International Blvd. will serve as a hub for entrepreneurs and a place where anyone can shop for products made in the 40x40 neighborhood. The second property will serve as a Welcome Center, where residents can access a variety of services. The third property is the historic Holiday Fish restaurant, which will be reopened as Hook and Net, a restaurant and culinary training program. 

Last but not least, we reconvened at East Oakland Youth Development Center, where we enjoyed presentations from summer interns who gained new skills and valuable income through a career exploration program launched by EOYDC and Brotherhood of Elders in June. It was an inspiring day that showcased the transformation that is possible when we resource deeply rooted community leaders. 

Thank you for being part of this historic effort!

Photos by Adriana Oyarzun