D E C E M B E R   2 0 1 7

H E L L O !

Hello from HOPE Collaborative! We're thrilled to be back in your inbox. There's a lot to catch up on, so we'll keep this part short. The theme of this newsletter is gratitude . Sharing gratitude (and learning to accept it) is key to our work. Scroll down to learn about the new staff we're grateful for, how you can show your gratitude, and what to expect in the coming months.


D O N A T E

Want to invest in HOPE's members and show your gratitude for our work?

  • $15 sponsors an hour of community outreach by youth members at our healthy corner stores
  • $50 sponsors a month of food expenses for Youth Action Board meetings
  • $180 sponsors a month of garden maintenance or street cleanup by a resident in the Elmhurst neighborhood
  • $240 sponsors a month of Youth Action Board participation by a young person

This link will take you to the Tides Center donation page. Please select HOPE Collaborative as the project you wish to donate to.
HOPE is a project of the Tides Center.

Q & A   W I T H   N E W   S T A F F   M E M B E R S 
We're excited to introduce our newest staff members. Rio Holaday joins the team as our Director, Paul Nguyen is our Food Justice Innovations Manager, and Sarahy Dominguez is our Youth Engagement Organizer. We asked them a few questions to get to know them better.

Rio Holaday, Director
What are you grateful for this year?
Rio: Nerdy people doing creative things (or creative people doing nerdy things?). For example, someone made haiku poems for each element in the periodic table !

Paul: I am grateful for being able to move up to the Bay. Although it was challenging to be away from my family, we have grown closer because of my move. The bright side is now I have to learn my mom's cooking.  

Sarahy: I am grateful for all the opportunities I have had within this year.

 

Paul Nguyen (Right), Food Justice Innovations Manager



What are you looking forward to next year?
Rio:  More of the generous spirit that brings the entire HOPE community together. HOPE is a place where everyone is welcome, and I'm eager to listen to, learn from, and support our community. I'm also looking forward to more haikus in 2018. 

Paul:  I'm looking forward to how I grow from this experience of living in the Bay Area. Also looking forward to exploring more of the trails that the Bay Area has access to!

Sarahy:  I am looking forward for a year of self care.
 



Sarahy Dominguez, Youth
Engagement Organizer 
What is your favorite ice breaker question & how would you answer it? 
Rio:  What's your nonprofit unicorn name and title?
Mine is Ephemeral Magic Briar, Breath of White Papers. (I didn't say I liked my name... I just said I 
liked the question!)

Paul: Thi s is a tough question because I can't think
of an icebreaker question. Let me google   
something and get back to you on 
that.....

 Sarahy:  If you could win any award what would it be?       Why? I would have to say an Oscar for Best  Picture.

Describe your job in 7 words or less. 
Rio:  Shifting power + creating space for Oakland voices.

Paul:  Learning from community to make change happen. 

Sarahy: Leading new leaders for a greater Oakland.
W A N T  M O R E ?  S T A F F  B I O S  B E L O W!

Rio is the Director of HOPE Collaborative and a former HOPE Steering Committee member and volunteer. She is a social justice unicorn and has worked in policy, research, and direct service. Prior to joining HOPE, Rio was a Senior Policy Analyst at ChangeLab Solutions with a focus on food access and childhood obesity. She has conducted Fulbright research in South Africa on economic migration, worked with resettled refugees in Vermont, and co-founded a youth-run social enterprise in Philadelphia. Rio is part of the 2017 cohort of Culture of Health Leaders, a national leadership program supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Paul  is the Food Justice Innovations Manager here at HOPE Collaborative. He is originally from Southern California, more specifically Garden Grove, so it has taken him a while to adjust to the cool weather here in Oakland. Prior to arriving at HOPE, Paul's focus was on addressing food access issues in Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles. In his off time, he enjoys running (currently training for the LA marathon in March) and cooking/learning to cook Vietnamese food. Paul is excited to continue to be a part of the food work that the community has been championing here in Oakland.

Sarahy  is the Youth Engagement Organizer of HOPE Collaborative. She is the newest staff but actually started at HOPE when she was 15 years old as a youth member. And on her second year she became the Youth Leader of HOPE. In her new role she will continue to be an ally to all the youth of YAB. She will also now be very accountable to not only her staff teammates, but also those in and out of HOPE Collaborative. She is very excited about her new role, and hopes to meet you all soon!
C O M I N G   S O O N 
In the next few months, you can expect stories about the work we've done in 2017, introductions to even more new staff members (teaser: they've been part of the HOPE community for a long time), and updates on the work we have planned for 2018.
O U R   N E W   A D D R E S S 

Office Address:
2000 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor
Oakland, CA 94612
(19th St. Bart Accessible)
Mailing Address:
HOPE Collaborative
P.O. Box 72256
Oakland, CA 94612