Community Ambassador Program
Building upon the former “Chinatown Clean” Ambassador Project, and with support and encouragement from the Oakland Chinatown Coalition, Family Bridges officially launched the Oakland Chinatown Ambassador Program in July 2021. Our Community Ambassador program addresses community needs in a collaborative spirit while establishing a sense of public safety, community vibrancy and hope. In doing so, we contribute toward the restoration of cultural and neighborhood pride in the Oakland Chinatown area.
Effective July 2022, we were selected by the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council (OCIC) to be their “Clean and Safe Ambassador Program” vendor.
What are the Goals of the Community Ambassador Program?
We strive to instill a welcoming, caring, vibrant and safe community in Oakland Chinatown. Our ambassador work is integral to the neighborhood health, wellness and public safety, and is a catalyst for fostering, building and bridging community relationships for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, or background.
Our Community Ambassador Program also aims to help stabilize and reintegrate individuals who are in transition, specifically, those at-risk of or are currently houseless and those who were formerly incarcerated in California state prisons. Through community-oriented services, we provide these individuals in transition with opportunities to contribute toward the vibrancy of Chinatown while gaining experience that can provide them a pathway to stable employment and housing.
Who does the Community Ambassador Program Serve?
Our services benefit the merchants and establishments, workers, residents, houseless, and visitors of Oakland Chinatown and the immediate surrounding area.
Under OCIC, our general service area is from Webster to Fallon Streets and 6th to 14th Streets.
As resources allow, our service area may be expanded.
What services does the Community Ambassador Program provide?
We envision a vibrant Oakland Chinatown community that is beloved, well cared for and respected. We help create a welcoming and safe environment in the Chinatown area, and sustain neighborhood health and wellness through promoting community and relationship building; reducing violence; restoring feelings of security, especially for our seniors; and creating an integrated, coordinated model for the public safety. We accomplish this by:
- Increasing street safety and cleanliness, abating graffiti, and addressing other non-criminal issues.
- Readily mitigating, de-escalating, and defusing tense situations.
- Brokering and facilitating genuine mutual respect, appreciation, and relationship building among merchants, workers, residents (including the houseless).
- Fostering peaceful and visible interactions bridging racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Connecting people to resources and addressing basic need issues.
- Providing bystander assistance and documentation.
- Increasing awareness and reporting of hate incidents and crimes.
How do I contact the Community Ambassador Program?
For general questions and inquiries, please contact Sakhone Lasaphangthong at [email protected] or call (510) 250-2038.
How do I support the Community Ambassador Program?
For volunteering opportunities, please click here.
For monetary donations, please click the button below
To learn more, please check out the following:
- A Day in the Life of An Oakland Chinatown Community Ambassador – The Oaklandside
- Helping Oakland’s Chinatown From the Street Level – KQED
- Oakland’s Chinatown Finds Solutions to Hate Crimes – The World
- Asian Americans Build Trust, Community Solutions in Face of Hate – Aljazeera
- Asian-American Communities Step Up Grassroots Safety Efforts – Bloomberg
- Community ambassador Sakhone Lasaphangthong restores sense of public safety, neighborhood pride in Oakland Chinatown – ABC7 San Francisco
- In Dialogue with Sakhone Lasaphangthong: An advocate for unhoused people in Oakland Chinatown – Street Spirit