Oakland

Lee To Present The Oakland Citizen Humanitarian Award to Tomika Perkins

Published

7 years ago

January 12, 2019

OAKLAND POST

Congresswoman Barbara Lee will present The Oakland Citizen Humanitarian Award to Ms. Tomika Perkins, Sunday, January 20, 2019 – 7:00-9:30 pm at “In the Name of Love”, The 17th Annual Musical Tribute Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Oakland Scottish Rite Center, 1547 Lakeside Dr., Oakland, CA 94612

On Sunday, January 20th, Congresswoman Barbara Lee will present the Oakland Citizen Humanitarian Award to Tomika Perkins, Operations Director at Operation Dignity, for her outstanding work on behalf of the Oakland community at “In the Name of Love”, the 17th Annual Musical Tribute honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an extensive civic and cultural event that pays homage through music, to one of the greatest humanitarians of our time.

The theme of this year’s tribute is “Rhythm and Blues and the Civil Rights Movement” highlighting 5 outstanding vocalists Jeanie Tracy, Kev Choice, The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol, Terrie Odabi, and Alvon Johnson along with an exciting backup band including Kev Choice and Joe Warner on piano, Scott Thompson on bass, Daria Johnson on drums, and Alvon Johnson on guitar. These outstanding musicians have each individually made a tremendous impact on the Bay Area cultural scene, and the 2019 program will bring them together onto the stage for the first time to rekindle Dr. King’s powerful and unifying teachings. The tribute will also serve as a platform for a one-time exciting collective, creative experience meant to inspire hope, celebrate Oakland’s cultural history and highlight the power of music to spur positive change.

The tribute will also include the 65-voice Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir; and the 300-voice Living Jazz Children’s Project backed up by winners of Jazz Search West 2019, another Living Jazz program. Konda Mason, Co-Founder and Founding CEO of Impact Hub, Oakland will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies.

Living Jazz, an Oakland based non-profit and producers of the MLK Tribute, originally created this award to acknowledge those who give of themselves beyond the call of duty and to inspire others to work for the betterment of the community. The recipient is chosen with the help of Oakland’s Department of Human Services, and in the spirit of Dr. King’s tireless efforts, is presented annually at “In the Name of Love”, the Annual Musical Tribute honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Tomika Perkins is the Operations Director at Operation Dignity. She started with the agency over 13 years ago as an outreach worker with their street outreach team. She is now the Operations Director overseeing street outreach, the Community Cabins programs, and Operation Dignity’s facilities serving more than 200 homeless veterans each year. Operation Dignity’s programs touch clients countywide, with their outreach concentrated here in Oakland, they also expanded outreach to Alameda in 2016.

Tomika is highly involved in the ongoing wellness of unsheltered and marginally housed clients and has been an active partner in the City’s implementation of various programs including OPRI, AC Impact, Coordinated Entry, and the Community Cabins.

She is a fierce advocate for the unsheltered and deeply committed to partnerships across agencies and the City of Oakland, balancing perspectives from multiple stakeholders to ensure that interventions are client focused and strengths based.

“In the Name of Love”, Oakland’s only non-denominational musical tribute to Dr. King, is the perfect platform in which to honor Tomika Perkins, this year’s recipient of the Oakland Citizen Humanitarian Award and a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge a member from our own community helping to inspire change and positive contribution.

Tickets: $25-$60 adv., door $30-$65; discounts for children 12 and under Tix and info: livingjazz.org/mlktribute or call 510-858-5313.

“In the Name of Love” has been made possible through the generosity of the National Endowment for the Arts; California Arts Council; City of Oakland Cultural Funding Program; Clorox Company Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation; William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Alameda County Arts Commission; and BART.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 1 – 7, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 1 – 7, 2026

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC