Despite the challenges last year brought, we are hopeful and excited for 2021! Looking back at 2020, Keep Oakland Beautiful had to adjust like everyone else but we are so inspired by the way we saw our community come together to keep Oakland clean and beautiful but also to support each other in staying safe and healthy.
We have lots of exciting things to look forward to this year. Just to name a few...
Congratulations to the 2020 Small Grant awardees. Thank you so much for your commitment to keeping Oakland beautiful! Check out the project summaries below and look out for their amazing work throughout Oakland and in your neighborhood! MudLab Mural for Trash Collection Hub, Vanessa Pope Location: 440 Grand Ave., Oakland, CA 94610 Description: In an effort to educate people and encourage them to reduce their single-use plastics, this grantee painted a mural on the awning of a café that shows people the effects of single-use plastics on animals and the environment. MudLab also hosts regular weekend clean ups at the lake. Phoenix Rising Peace Park Garden, Susan Boggiano KOB gave a grant to renovate our neighborhood Adopt a Spot park. The project successfully involved neighborhood volunteers (ranging from 4 to 75 years old) in a community building event making mosaic stepping stones to beautify the park. The average volunteer spent about 8 hours working on their mosaic piece. Some flagstones and stepping stones were donated by neighbors. We had our first neighborhood party to celebrate the new space in June with the many volunteers in attendance. The new space has seen a lot more visitors since the renovation. Sequoia Elementary School, Storm Drain Stenciling Mural & Trash Can Mosiacs, Lara Clayman Location: 3730 Lincoln Ave., Oakland, CA 94602 Description: Students in the Climate Changers after school club identified trash and litter on and around campus as a main concern. Sequoia Elementary School put their grant money to great use with 2 amazing projects - storm drain stencil mural and trash can mosaics. Check out the website for more info. Healthy Havenscourt Community Garden, Celia Davis Location: 6833 International Blvd., Oakland, CA 94621 Description: This grantee used funds to create a community garden around the Martin Luther King Jr. library. The goal of this project is to create a vision of hope, encouraging youth to get involved in the garden upkeep and connecting them to the land and fresh produce from the garden. Micro Street Garden, Will Walker Location: 1752 11th Street, Oakland, CA 94607 Description: This grantee created a series of small urban raised bed gardens in front of a local business that has 12 feet of open space that is usually susceptible to illegal dumping. Additional 2020 Small Grant awardees below
This September marks the 25th year of Creek to Bay in Oakland. This year due to Covid-19 we are transforming a day set aside for watershed clean ups to a whole month of cleaning, greening and beautifying our neighborhoods, parks and creeks. So go outside by yourself or with your social bubble and do something to help improve the health of our local creeks and watersheds. Every little bit helps!
Check out this website: www.oaklandcreektobay.org to learn more about how you can participate in Creek to Bay month! Members of the KOB board recently visited the murals painted in downtown Oakland that share messages of peace, commemorate lost Black lives, and showcase artistry of Oakland residents.
Photo credits: Andrea Silvestri |
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