Activism

City of Oakland Celebrates Improvements to Downtown Oakland Senior Center

District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife likewise praised the center, which is within her district. “The Downtown Senior Center offers dance classes, crafts, computer courses, and other wonderful programs and activities for our elders,” she said. “I’m excited that renovations to the Downtown Senior Center have been completed and thank everyone involved, especially City staff who work diligently to help improve the quality of life for our seniors.”

Published

1 year ago

January 1, 2025

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Kevin Jenkins speaks as councilmembers Carroll Fife, Noel Gallo, Assistant City Administrator Latonda Simmons and Oakland Public Works Director Josh Rowan look on. Photo courtesy the City of Oakland.

By Jean Walsh
Special to The Post

City of Oakland leadership and community partners gathered Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the completion of improvements to enhance the Downtown Oakland Senior Center located in the Veterans’ Memorial Building at 200 Grand Ave.

“Our Senior Centers are vital hubs for the community and enable seniors to socialize and interact with other active seniors. I’m so excited to see these renovated spaces,” said Interim Oakland Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Thank you to Oakland voters for making these crucial improvements possible through Measure KK and thank you to the hardworking City of Oakland team for delivering this project on time and within budget.”

The Downtown Oakland Senior Center Improvements Project entailed a partial renovation of the ground floor of the building. The project refreshed worn out finishes that had not been upgraded since the 1980s, including nearly 10,000 square feet of new flooring, painting, signage and LED lighting retrofits in the canteen, dining, crafts, computer and consignment rooms. These improvements make the space more inviting, with a fresh, clean look.

The project also included sewer replacement, accessibility upgrades to the bathrooms, and ADA upgrades to the parking lot, including partial pavement rehabilitation, accessible parking stalls, signage, and curb ramps.

The $2.5 million Downtown Oakland Senior Center project was funded through Measure KK, passed by the Oakland voters in 2016. ELS Architecture and Urban Design was the design team and Mar Con Builders was the contractor.

The Downtown Oakland Senior Center focuses on providing seniors (55+) with innovative programs and services that address the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of older adults. Seniors are welcome to become a member at DOSC for $12/year. Membership opportunities include (no cost and low cost): exercise classes, art and writing classes, conversation groups, book clubs, group day trips, etc. Activities are in-person or on ZOOM.

Further, DOSC is a community hub for senior services, offering a ready-to-eat lunch program through Spectrum Community Services, senior relevant presentations in partnership with other organizations, and access to an Information and Assistance specialist available to provide individualized support referrals.

Unique to DOSC there is a Consignment Shop where members can consign items to sell and everyone can shop!

“The Downtown Oakland Senior Center is located in a glorious building with a rich history,” said Josh Rowan, Interim Oakland Public Works Director. “This project has made the building more accessible for visitors using mobility aids, more functional for the staff who cook meals in the kitchen or teach classes in the computer lab, and more comfortable for the seniors who enjoy the Center’s excellent programs every day.”

“The Mayor’s Commission on Aging is thrilled to welcome back our Oakland seniors, our services providers, health and safety partners, our Veterans, families and friends to celebrate the re-opening of the Café, Consignment Shop and other sorely-missed spaces closed during construction,” said Lenore McDonald Gunst, Chair, Mayor’s Commission on Aging.

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Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.