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Oakland Seeks More Community Chaplains; New Classes to Start in June

Pastors of Oakland President Phyllis Scott and OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong are hoping to have 30 community chaplains by the end of the year. New classes are scheduled to start in June. For more information on how to become a volunteer chaplain, please call Pastor Phyllis Scott at (510) 688-7437 or send an e-mail to tolemsecretary@gmail.com

Published

4 years ago

April 4, 2022

Oakland Post

Christin Dale, Esq. and Rev. Antoné Hicks.

Two weeks ago, the Pastors of Oakland completed training of 11 Community Chaplains to assist the Oakland Police Department in helping families in the first throes of trauma after life-changing incidents ranging from car accidents to assault and battery, domestic violence and sudden, tragic death.

Pastors of Oakland President Phyllis Scott and OPD Chief LeRonne Armstrong are hoping to have 30 community chaplains by the end of the year.

New classes are scheduled to start in June. For more information on how to become a volunteer chaplain, please call Pastor Phyllis Scott at (510) 688-7437 or send an e-mail to tolemsecretary@gmail.com

Below, in their own words, the new graduates share their reasons for becoming community chaplains.

Christin Dale, Esq.

I am a California-based attorney. My reasons to pursue Pastor Phyllis Scott’s chaplaincy training are three-fold. My first reason stems from my childhood. I grew up in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Davenport, Iowa. My neighborhood was a low-income, high crime area. Like many of my neighbors, I regularly attended the local church where its community gave me an incredible sense of inclusion, support, and sense of belonging to something greater than myself. When I moved to the East Bay, I felt a similar sense of community.

My second reason for pursuing the chaplaincy program is service. I have been gifted with the tools to serve this community, both as a chaplain and an attorney. As a lawyer, I assist those overcoming various legal challenges. As a chaplain, I help those who are forced to deal with overwhelming trauma while making an effort to prevent others from enduring such pain. In both of these capacities, I provide my services to those I feel most connected to and identify with, the marginalized Oakland community.

Finally, I believe in Pastor Scott’s vision of hope for advancing and healing the Oakland community. Pastor Scott has made it her mission to uplift Oakland, to be on the front lines in responding to violent crimes so the community knows there are people offering support and actively taking actions to prevent violent crimes from reoccurring, not just from one day to the next but from one generation to the next. Pastor Scott’s chaplaincy program couldn’t come soon enough for Oakland. I couldn’t be more grateful for this opportunity to serve and promote this vision for the people of Oakland.

Rev. Antoné Hicks

I became an Oakland Chaplain because I want to serve the Oakland community. I was born and raised in Oakland and currently serve as a City of Oakland employee.

Violence was prevalent in the neighborhood where I grew up and resources were scarce. I know firsthand some of the difficulties families face in their daily lives. I also know firsthand the community bond that exists in Oakland. I am forever grateful for the people in my community who shared their time, love, and resources with me. I want to be a resource for someone else in need.

Serving as an Oakland Community Chaplain allows me the opportunity to be present for people who need help and might not know how to ask or don’t believe they are worthy of receiving. When I was struggling, I didn’t know how to ask for help, but members of my community saw my need and helped me.

Lastly, I want to share my faith by way of service. I want to fellowship with my community not just in the good times but in the difficult times as well. It is my honor and privilege to serve as an Oakland Community Chaplain.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

1 week ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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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

2 weeks 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.