Eden I&R

July 2023 E-Newsletter

Where to find Summer Meals

California public schools are an essential source of food and nutrition for many students, serving nearly 3 million free lunches and 1.5 million free breakfasts each school day. The end of the school year can increase food insecurity for families that rely on these meals. Fortunately, there are resources available to help.

This cumulative list has multiple locations throughout Oakland providing meals. Alameda County residents can locate additional summer meal sites and schedules here. Families can also download the free CA Meals for Kids mobile app to find summer meal locations and afterschool activities, and call 211 Alameda County for more resources.

Download CA Meals for Kids App

Wildfire Safety Resources

Though Alameda County experienced a wet winter season, this has led to overgrowth of grass, weeds, and bushes, which can be hazardous when combined with dry and hot weather. This can increase the risk of wildfires, and taking steps to protect yourself and your community is important. Here are some tips for wildfire safety preparation:

Create a defensible space around your home by clearing debris, trimming trees, and removing flammable materials.
If you need to evacuate, prepare an emergency kit with important documents, medications, and supplies. Remember to make a kit for your pets if you have them!
Stay informed about local fire conditions by signing up for alerts, like AC Alert, and monitoring news sources.
Have an evacuation plan in place and practice it with your family.

For more information and resources on preparing for wildfire season, visit acgov.org/ready or call 211 anytime. PG&E also has an informative Community Wildfire Safety Program page where you can learn even more wildfire safety tips. Stay safe!

National Roadside Traffic Safety Awareness Month

July is National Roadside Traffic Safety Awareness Month. This initiative aims to raise awareness among motorists and pedestrians about the importance of being cautious on the roads and adhering to traffic rules and regulations.

Here in Alameda County, improving the overall safety of the transportation system was a core need and priority coming out of the 2020 Countywide Transportation Plan, and the Alameda County Transportation Commission put together helpful resources on safety best practices and more about their initiatives that you can access here.

Learn More

Celebrate Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month occurs every July to commemorate the passing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in July 1990. It's an occasion to celebrate people with disabilities, honor their rights, promote their visibility, and applaud their achievements.

To mark this celebratory month, Alameda County Library staff curated a list of books with disability representation and written by disabled authors. Check them out today!

Welcome Colleen Hentschel to the Eden I&R Team!

Colleen Hentschel is the new Director of Finance and Administration at Eden I&R, bringing over 10 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. In this role, she develops and oversees organizational policies and processes related to finance and budgeting, people and culture, and technology and systems. She leads management and training efforts internally and oversees the general operations at Eden I&R.

Colleen is passionate about serving others and motivated by Eden I&R's mission to connect people to resources. She enjoys finding ways to streamline processes, build culture/community, and create and maintain a positive work environment. Outside the office, she enjoys spending time with her family and supporting them in their activities and ambitions.

Colleen is an Indiana University alum with a BS in Kinesiology and an MA from Dominican University. She earned a Corporate Finance certificate from the University of Chicago in April 2023 and is eager to continue developing and building her professional skills and to support others in doing the same.

Job & Volunteer Openings

Senior Accountant: The Senior Accountant will be responsible for overseeing the contracts and grants invoicing, accounts payable, reconciliations, and financial statements. This position reports to the Director of Finance and Administration and supervises the Bookkeeper. Apply here.

Volunteers: As an Eden I&R / 2-1-1 Alameda County volunteer, you can help connect people to valuable resources in the community. Get involved.

Join Our Board

Eden I&R is seeking new members for its Board of Directors! Women, minorities, people with disabilities, veterans, people impacted by the justice system, and other candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to reach out about this opportunity. You can read more about the role here.

If you are interested in board service, please contact Eden I&R’s Executive Director, Alison DeJung, at adejung@edenir.org.

Community & Event News

Highlights from the National CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) Conference

Eden I&R / 211 Alameda County's Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, Lars Eric Holm, recently

co-taught four classes at the 2023 National CERT Association conference held from June 26th through July 1st in San Francisco.

Lars Eric and his colleague and co-instructor, Ron Halog, were invited to train for "CERT 360" specifically to share the training approach used in the popular "Prepare U" series they have conducted for the past few years.

This conference is attended by people from all across the country who want to learn new approaches and techniques for training the community. It covered engaging diverse audiences, adapting to local needs, techniques for interaction, and relevant ways to reach out to the community to help them become more prepared.

If your organization would like Disaster Preparedness training, please contact Lars Eric at leholm@edenir.org.

Affordable Housing Guide

Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside news organizations created a new Guide to Finding Affordable Housing in Oakland and Berkeley, featuring 211 Alameda County as a resource! We help thousands of community members and their families every year get the resources they need to remain/become housed. You can read the guide here.

Caller Stories

A probation officer in Oakland called 211 because he had a client with mental health concerns. After talking to the officer, 211 staff determined his client needed to be assessed to get the medical attention they needed. Staff referred him to Alameda’s Acute Crisis Care and Evaluation for System-Wide Services and the Asian Health Services Mental Health Specialty Clinic. Both agencies offer behavioral health care services and treatment services.

Thanks to the following partnerships, 211's Transportation Department can continue its mission "to reduce transportation barriers in underserved communities in an attempt to level the playing field."

You can learn more about our Transportation Department and these partnerships here.

www.edenir.org

Donate Now

Eden I&R is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, and your donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

We envision a community empowered with information and connected to resources so that all people obtain health, happiness, hope, and improved livelihoods.