Our Impact in 2019

​In 2019, KOB funded 10 small grants. Here's how your contributions made a difference in Oakland.

​Jingletown Drain Painting
Like in much of Oakland, storm drains in the Jingletown neighborhood lead directly to the Oakland Estuary. Using a grant from KOB, volunteers painted murals around two drains to bring awareness to the drains while beautifying the neighborhood. The first mural, Estuary Fish, was painted by 50 eighth-graders from Lazear Charter Academy. ​The second mural, Community Quilt, was designed in collaboration with a local senior quilt maker and painted by neighborhood volunteers during an MLK service day. More photos on the KOB blog post

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Myrtle St. Bulb Out Mural and Beautification
​As part of the opening of a new Community Foods Market in West Oakland, the city installed a bulb-out at the NW corner of San Pablo Ave and Myrtle St. to slow vehicles at the intersection. Using a KOB grant, volunteers painted a mural to draw attention to the intersection and increase its impact.

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Hoover Durant St Corner Library Pop-Up
A KOB small grant supported the construction of mobile book storage wagons as part of the Hoover Durant Street Corner Library Events. The events are a temporary, yet on-going part of a much larger ongoing campaign to bring back a public neighborhood branch library that was demolished for the construction of a freeway in the early 1970s. 
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Champion Transit Plaza Landscape Renovation
​Champion Transit Plaza was built in 2013 by the City of Oakland. Volunteers with the Dimond Improvement Association (DIA) have been maintaining the plaza for five years but the plantings were in need of renovation. DIA used a grant from KOB to replant with more drought-tolerant plants. ​

“We really appreciated this grant as it served as an incentive to get the project done. It's also great to know that we're one of many projects around the city--a community of good works!”
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Longfellow Garden Boxes
The Longfellow Neighborhood Association used a KOB grant to beautify the sidewalk in front of an auto body shop on one of the busiest corridors in the neighborhood. Volunteers built raised planters between the chain-link fence and sidewalk and planted drought-tolerant plants. In the future, the neighborhood association would like to build mini-gardens at 5 additional autobody sites along MLK and West MacArthur.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for the Longfellow Community Association! We've never gotten a grant before and it was both a learning and growing experience for us. We hope to apply for grants for similar projects in the future--Longfellow has a lot of industrial sites that we'd like to green, especially given the positive feedback on this one! “​

CAP MLK Blvd Homeless Camp and Street Clean Up
The Community Ambassador Program used a grant from KOB to host three clean-ups at homeless encampments in West Oakland.  MLK Blvd & W. Grand, 35th-36th on MLK and Peralta and 35th.

Hoover Elementary Garden
The intent of this KOB-sponsored project was to plant empty spaces in the Hoover Elementary Garden with crops culturally relevant to local families from Arabic and African countries. In partnership with the Permaculture Action Network, Burners Without Borders, and Common Vision, the neighborhood hosted a day of hands-on projects and workshops. Nearly 400 volunteers cleared garden spaces and created community agreements about interest, participation and crop choices. The school district has since decided to take back control of the land so they were not able to plant fava beans, chard and figs. Instead, they built two redwood benches to replace the milk crates used by crossing guards who have been protecting school children for almost 20 years.

“We are very appreciative of the opportunity to add new elements to our School’s garden, one that is transforming our students’ appreciation for each other and our earth.”

MacArthur Heights 98th Avenue Beautification
The neighborhood association used a KOB grant to cover ugly dirt with rocks at 98th Avenue above Mac Arthur Blvd. one of the busiest streets in Oakland.

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Longfellow Mosaic Trash Cans
The Longfellow neighborhood is in the process of installing five new mosaic garbage cans on 40th Street at the corners of Market Street, West Street, and MLK Jr Way—the busiest corridors in the neighborhood, primarily at bus stops​.

Universal Garden of Love
The Universal Garden of Love will support residents of Lion Creek Crossings (LCC) to share foods they have grown at LCC by hosting monthly clean ups and pot lucks at the public park. The project will provide four residents at LCC with planter beds to place in a small area near the park or on resident patios.