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Student Organizers Secure $3.6 Million for Healthy Food for OUSD Youth

OAKLAND POST — Student organizers with Oakland Kids First (OKF) secured $3.6 million over the next two years to improve healthy food options for Oakland public school students. The student organizers from Castlemont, Fremont, Oakland Tech, and Oakland High schools launched the Free Supper for Hungry Minds campaign in response to the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Board of Education’s decision in June of 2018 to terminate the popular Free Supper program.

Published

7 years ago

September 12, 2019

Oakland Post

Photo by: feedinghungryminds.co.uk

By Oakland Post

Student organizers with Oakland Kids First (OKF) secured $3.6 million over the next two years to improve healthy food options for Oakland public school students.

The student organizers from Castlemont, Fremont, Oakland Tech, and Oakland High schools launched the Free Supper for Hungry Minds campaign in response to the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Board of Education’s decision in June of 2018 to terminate the popular Free Supper program.

The program provided free, hot evening meals to more than 3,000 low-income elementary, middle, and high school students each day who participated in after-school programs and athletics.

After months of student advocacy, OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammel reinstated the Free Supper program this past January thanks to widespread community support for the students’ demands.

However, they were told a more sustainable solution would have to be found to make the critical program viable long-term.

As the Free Supper program temporarily relaunched in January, OKF partnered with the Superintendent’s office to solicit funding for OUSD’s Department of Nutrition Services from the new Sugar Sweetened Beverage Tax (SSBT).

Students fought for a 20% annual portion over the duration of the Measure HH tax to fund expanded healthy food options for Oakland students – including support for the Free Supper Program and completion of OUSD’s central kitchen.

During months of negotiations around this critical issue, student organizers argued that the city has a moral responsibility to help feed low-income and food-insecure kids and that a partnership with OUSD was an efficient and robust way to positively impact thousands of children daily.

Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan championed their cause through contentious budget negotiations to help secure approximately $3.6 million (about 18% of the taxes collected) of Measure HH funds over the next two years to invest in OUSD’s Department of Nutrition Services.

Those funds will be used to save the Free Supper program and help complete the district’s central kitchen so that fresher and healthier food options will be available for students during breakfast, lunch, and supper.

“For the City of Oakland to give us $3.6 million from the sugar-sweetened beverage tax to improve OUSD nutrition services is great, especially for food-insecure students,” said Castlemont High School student organizer Keyanna Scott-Wilson.“What this means for food-insecure students is that they will be able to have access to food at school if they cannot at home that will help them better focus on schooling and learning!”

The city’s investment in expanded healthy food options is critical for two main reasons. Given that 75% of OUSD students are eligible for free or reduced price meals and 46% of children in East Oakland live beneath the federal poverty line, the maintenance of the free supper program ensures hot evening meals are available to students who may otherwise struggle to find one.

And secondly, the investment in the completion of OUSD’s central kitchen will ensure all meals in OUSD are fresher, healthier and tastier to better serve the 40% of OUSD middle and high school students who currently eat fast food every day and the 50% who drink at least one sugar-sweetened beverage per day.

“Young folks are rarely centered in discussions around community health and poverty and their voices and expertise are seldom heard or heeded in the halls of power,” said OKF Executive Director Lukas Brekke-Miesner. “This allocation of funds affirms our youth and acknowledges the tremendous needs facing them and their families.”

Oakland Tech student organizer Malia Liao added, “To witness the City of Oakland listen to and center student voice means everything to me. It showed us the power and influence we have on our community to do good. This is what it looks like to center equity. Being a part of this fight has been such an honor I will never forget.”

Oakland Kids First would like to thank The Sugar Freedom Project, the Alameda County Food Bank, the Center for EcoLiteracy, and the OUSD Superintendent’s office for their partnership and advocacy. OKF and our student organizers also deeply appreciate Council President Rebecca Kaplan and her staff for championing this cause and the Sugar Sweetened Beverage Tax Community Advisory Board for their thorough and thoughtful community process and willingness to put Oakland kids first.

For more information about Oakland Kids First, visit https://www.oaklandkidsfirst.org/.

This article originally appeared in Post News Group.

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Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”
The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.

The post The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.” appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts

Is your home EV charging setup ready? Dealerships may not warn you about critical outlet and circuit needs. Find out before you plug in!
The post EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

Dealerships won’t tell you: charging this big battery at home isn’t always simple. Verify your outlet capacity, circuit, and setup before assuming level one or basic outdoor outlets will suffice.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/A9Cd2SspoaQ

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The post EV Home Charging Warning: What Dealerships Won’t Tell You! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts

Don’t get tricked at the dealership! Learn essential car buying secrets to secure the best deal and avoid hidden traps.
The post Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Oakland Post

Before stepping into a dealership, secure bank pre-approval for your financing rate. Then, get the out-the-door price in writing. Never discuss monthly payments until that number is fixed. Test road noise and rear visibility yourself. Decline add-ons with a simple ‘Not today’. Check backseat space with your tallest household member.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/maAOBjO1puY

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The post Car Buying Secrets: Dealership Traps & How to Avoid Them #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.