Bay Area
Two Star Market Needs Volunteers for its 17th Annual Thanksgiving Community Celebration
Bay Area residents and public and private organizations are gearing up for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday with one special venue that is going ‘all-out,’ extending outreach to feed not only people in the local Oakland community but from surrounding cities as well.
Two Star Market in the city’s Dimond District will hold its 17th Annual Thanksgiving Community Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 28, between 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Two Star is a family-owned, community-oriented business located at 2020 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland.
Farouq Alawdi, co-owner and manager, along with his brother Abdo, are ready to feed an estimated 800 guests during their afternoon celebration feast where they will provide 80 turkeys, 900 pounds of grilled chicken and 200 pounds of kebabs, as well as all the side dishes and plenty of pies for dessert.
“All of the dinners and trimmings are provided by Two Star Market,” said Alawdi. “We’ve been funding these hot dinners for 16 years. It is our way of paying back to the community because without them, we wouldn’t be here. The community has helped to sustain our business since we first opened in 1983.
“This community celebration is a family legacy that stems from our grandfather back home in Yemen,” said Alawdi. “It was during the Holy month of Ramadan where dinner is served for those in need….So, 16 years ago, my brother and dad decided to continue that legacy here in the United States and they thought it was the best way to give back to the community.”
“When we first started this event, it was just for the local residents, and has now expanded for anyone and everyone throughout the surrounding cities of Berkeley, Richmond, Hayward and Fremont, where some of our veteran volunteers have come out to help with the event.”
Last year, two Oakland Police Department police academies, 180 and 181, came out to volunteer.
This year, the Alawdis will need at least 100 more volunteers to help with serving the throngs of people they are expecting. Volunteers should bring their own aprons and oven mittens. The only thing the public needs to bring is a good appetite, and have fun while listening to live entertainment which will include Latin jazz as well as old-school and rap music. There will also be a bouncy house for children at the venue.
“It has been because of the hard work contributed by John and Denice of our staff who have been assisting us for over five years in taking the initiative to gather all the volunteers and coordinating all the cooking and sides,” said Alawdi. “They take charge of the kitchen during the Thanksgiving celebration and ensure everything flows smoothly. They are the reason this event is such a success. La Perla Restaurant, located inside of Two Star Market, has also been supportive by lending its kitchen and staff to help prepare for the feast.”
Volunteers interesting in helping to feed residents should contact Denice at (510) 504.8841. Donations are welcomed on www.2starmarket.com. For more information, call (510) 531.3576.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
Bay Area
State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference
California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.
By Carla Thomas
California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco.
The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.
“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.
ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.
“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.
More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.
Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.
“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.
“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.
“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.
By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”
Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”
Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.
“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”
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