November 25, 2021
Dear Friend,

Happy Turkey Day! This Thanksgiving, I am so grateful for Oakland's compassion during a year that has been challenging for so many of us and our neighbors. Oakland's vibrant and resilient spirit inspires me every day, and I wish every Oaklander a great day spent with family, friends, and community.

Welcome to the Mayor’s Weekly Briefing, your weekly Oakland news roundup. Please forward this to a friend. They may subscribe here. If you have a second, please fill out this survey to help us reach all Oaklanders.

Oakland Love,
—Libby
MAYOR LIBBY SCHAAF
Oakland Announces Visionary Waterfront Project
On Friday, I was joined by the U.S. Department of Transportation to announce a $14.5 million infrastructure grant and to launch our visionary Transforming Oakland's Waterfront Neighborhoods (TOWN for All) plan to reconnect our city with our waterfront with new and active public transportation. These transformational projects will create a greener, safer, and more accessible Oakland for generations to come. Learn more below!
Public Safety: Call to Increase Police Staffing
The continued gun violence, including recent coordinated attacks on our local and regional businesses is unacceptable. I’m thankful Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately directed the CHP to provide more patrols at key locations and to help us disrupt the large gatherings before they can strike. Locally, we increased Oakland police staffing through the busy shopping weekend.

Also, I'm immediately calling on our City Council to add an additional police academy to continue our effort to properly staff the Oakland police department. We are currently at 680 officers – the lowest in a decade. Our community deserves safety – and a properly staffed police department to respond to emergency calls, to help prevent mass thefts before they occur, and to hold perpetrators accountable.
Thanksgiving Week In The Community
This Thanksgiving week, I had the pleasure of visiting and volunteering at several of Oakland's community organizations who are hard at work to support our most vulnerable residents. If you are able, please consider donating to one or some of these organizations:
Native American Restaurant Opens in East Oakland
Wahpepah's Kitchen, a woman-owned Native American restaurant serving indigenous cuisine infused with modern flavors, is now open in Fruitvale Village. As Chef Crystal Wahpepah told ABC7 News, "It feels amazing...Having this space in this restaurant, it is healing from historical trauma and colonization." This Native American Heritage Month, go out and support this exciting, new, indigenous restaurant in Oakland.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
A low fog morning in Oakland. Check out @skyhighoakland on Instagram for more aerials shots of the Town!
COMMUNITY LINKS TO USE AND SHARE
  • Looking for holiday gifts? Use Think Oakland First to shop local, find unique gifts, and support small businesses.

  • There are a few temporary positions available at Oakland Ed Fund supporting #OaklandUndivided and assisting with the launch of a phone banking campaign to get more families to complete our tech-check survey. Bilingual (Spanish/English) candidates are strongly preferred. Job description can be found here.

  • Homies Empowerment is redistributing $100,000 to help people pay for much needed bills this holiday season. More information and the application can be found here. 

  • Oakland Unified School District is hiring for a variety of roles! Find out more at the OUSD Jobs Portal.

  • AC Transit is hiring bus operators. Jobs start at $22.11/hour after paid training. Learn more about further opportunities here.


  • REMINDER: Despite the federal moratorium ending on 9/30, Oakland's eviction moratorium remains in place. Find rental resources here.

  • Oakland entrepreneurs and business owners can now meet with City business support staff at 5 local libraries. Learn more here.

  • Learn about red flag warnings and and why they matter in Oakland, and visit the City's red flag warning website for updates on fire danger.

  • Access a digital copy of your COVID-19 vaccine record here.