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Quality Jobs Fund Gives $3.2 Million For Oakland Small Businesses

Published

6 years ago

May 7, 2018

Chef Rashad Armstead discusses the origin of his business, Crave BBQ, at a press conference announcing a $3.2 million investment from the Quality Jobs Fund to Pacific Community Ventures on May 3 to support Bay Area small businesses. Photo by Sarah Carpenter.

The Quality Jobs Fund has invested $3.2 million in Pacific Community Ventures (PCV), a group that supports Bay Area small businesses.

“It’s an investment that’s close to home,” said Greg Seibly, president and chief executive officer of Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco—the company that seeded the Quality Jobs Fund with a $100 million charitable donation.
Rep. Barbara Lee, who spoke at the press conference announcing the fund, said she was pleased with this investment.

“We must place small business owners at the front of our economic growth plans, and initiatives such as this one…can provide small businesses—especially women- and minority-owned businesses—with the support needed to grow and thrive,” she said.

The Quality Jobs Fund is administered by the New World Foundation. One of the many businesses benefitting from this fund is Crave BBQ in Oakland. Chef Rashad Armstead was homeless in 2016 when he opened the restaurant with $908—first as a pop-up restaurant, and soon to be at 2608 Market St.

Armstead plans to hire several new employees and provide them with “quality jobs.” PCV defines a quality job by not only the income the job provides, but also the benefits, stability, and potential for upward mobility.

“As small business owners, we can’t just look at where we’re at now, we also have to look at the future,” Armstead said. “You have to hire good people—they are an investment into your future business, so you won’t always have to be a small business.”

Mary Jo Cook, president and chief executive officer of PCV, said that the PCV toolkit provides examples, resources, and advice to help small business owners create jobs that attract employees. “We can’t just say ‘hey small businesses, create quality jobs,’” she said. “You have to give them tools and examples and role models to show them how to do this.”

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California Black Media

Yahushua’s Law: Senate Advances Bill to Protect Students from Extreme Weather

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3. The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Published

1 week ago

April 18, 2024

Oakland Post

Yahushua Nyerere Robinson (Courtesy Photo)

By California Black Media

In a significant move towards student safety, the California Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill (SB) 1248, also known as Yahushua’s Law, on April 3.

The bill is named in memory of Yahushua Robinson, a 12-year-old student from Lake Elsinore, who tragically died due to a heat-related illness during a physical education class in 2023. It is a pioneering effort to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield) and co-authored by Assemblymember Akilah Weber, M.D. (D-La Mesa), SB 1248 directs the California Department of Education to develop comprehensive guidelines for schools regarding student activity during all extreme weather conditions.

“No student should ever lose their life on campus to extreme weather when we can take steps to protect them by preparing statewide plans to minimize exposure to the most harmful elements of exposure,” Hurtado said after introducing SB 1248.

The bill stipulates that schools must implement safety measures which include monitoring weather forecasts, postponing or relocating outdoor activities during hazardous conditions, and ensuring students have proper hydration and access to shade. It also requires schools to establish clear communication plans to keep parents, teachers, and students informed about potential weather hazards.

Supporters of the bill include the Robinson family, advocate Christina Laster, Bold Enterprises LLC, California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Familias Empoderadas del Valle Central National Action Network, The Black Student Advocate, and the Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Thanking Hurtado for introducing this crucial legislation, Weber said, “The story of Yahushua Robinson last year was heartbreaking. We have protections for farm workers and other industries in the case of extreme weather, now climate change is forcing us to also extend similar protections to students at school.”