Business

Oakland Recognizes Local Small Business Owners

Published

7 years ago

May 10, 2019

The City Council this week honored small businesses in the city, recognizing “the key role that they play in driving Oakland’s economy and contributing to the city’s quality of life.”

At Tuesday evening’s council meeting, each council member celebrated one small business owner whose hard work and entrepreneurship is making a difference in the city.

District 4 Councilmember Sheng Thao recognized Delightful Foods, a family-owned bakery established 25 years ago in the Fairfax business district, located at 5276 Foothill Blvd. in Oakland. Bilal Sabir, Rafia Yusif and their family of 10 own and operate the bakery, which began as a pie shop and has developed into a business that specializes in eight varieties of vegan cookies and 13 flavored pies.

Councilmember-at-Large Rebecca Kaplan honored Paul Cobb, chairperson and publisher of the Post News Group, who started as a Post reporter and religion editor and bought the newspapers in 2004. The Oakland Post and El Mundo, established by the late Thomas L. Berkley, were adjudicated in Alameda County in 1963 and have served Oakland continuously ever since.

Councilmember-at-large Rebecca Kaplan (right) honors Paul Cobb, chairperson and co-publisher of the Post News Group, which includes the Oakland Post and El Mundo newspapers. Photo by Ken Epstein

“The Post News Group is a vital part of Oakland’s community, and we recognize Paul (Cobb) for his commitment to good journalism,” said Councilmember Kaplan.

District 2 Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas recognized Arizmendi Bakery on Lakeshore Avenue, part of a worker-owned cooperative that operates six bakeries in the Bay Area. Arizmendi, which opened at 3265 Lakeshore Ave. in 1997, focuses on providing healthy food using straightforward recipes and quality ingredients and recruits its worker-owners from underserved Oakland communities.

District 7 Councilmember Larry Reid recognized Dr. Nyeisha Dewitt, a founder of the nonprofit Oakland Natives Give Back (ONGB), which contributes backpacks and school supplies for Oakland students and works to improve student attendance.

District 3 Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney, who was excused from the meeting, honored Uncle Willie’s BBQ and Fish at 614 14th St. in downtown Oakland. The restaurant, opened in 2005 and serving award-winning BBQ and fish ever since, was named after Willie Thomas. The family-owned restaurant is run by Craig (Willie’s son) and Nick (Willie’s nephew).

District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo recognized Taqueria La Casita, located at 3659 Foothill Blvd. in Oakland’s Fruitvale District. The restaurant opened for business in 2016.

District 6 Councilmember Loren Taylor honored Lena’s Soul Food Café, named after Lena Mae Peters, who grew up in Wharton, Texas. The café, located at 6403 Foothill Blvd. in Oakland, was the creation of her five children and two grandchildren in honor of her cooking legacy, which has been a landmark in District 6 for decades.

District 1 Councilmember Dan Kalb honored Ruby’s Garden, “local-grown kids wear and gifts,” located at 5026 Telegraph Ave. in Oakland. Opening in 2006, the store serves as a community space in the Temescal to buy and sell high-quality, locally-crafted and locally-designed children’s clothing and gifts.

The Office of Mayor Libby Schaaf recognized Clean360, a social enterprise of Roots Community Health Center that creates small batch, handcrafted soap from fine ingredients in its workshop and retail location in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood at 4107 Broadway in Oakland.

Ken Epstein

Posts by Ken Epstein

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

March 22, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Advice

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