Oak Street Community Cabins Program

Oak Street Community Cabins (OCC) is one of six outdoor, 24/7 emergency shelters established by the City of Oakland, and offers 38 beds and up to six-months of stay for the houseless. In partnership with Family Bridges staff, OCC residents are able to stabilize from the crisis and stress of living completely outside, and focus on their journey to obtaining permanent housing.

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.

Why Oak Street Community Cabins?
Our Mission. The mission of Family Bridges’ Oak Street Community Cabins is to restore hope and to help the houseless in Oakland Chinatown and the surrounding area secure and maintain stable housing.

Our Story. Family Bridges’ is deeply rooted in Oakland Chinatown and serves the most vulnerable in our community, including houseless individuals living in and around Chinatown. What started in March 2019 as a pilot outreach project with very limited resources and one volunteer developing trusting relationships and distributing 30 meals a week to the houseless, grew to a subcontract for three paid housing navigation staff at Oak Street Community Cabins (OCC). A testament to effective outreach efforts, staff moved 20 individuals who were living at Madison Park and the streets of Chinatown to OCC on opening day in January 2020; within weeks, OCC was fully occupied with 38 residents. Due to COVID-19, daily operations adjusted and resources pivoted. By December 2020, Family Bridges contracted directly with the City of Oakland to fully operate OCC with housing navigation services and 24/7 site management.

Our Future. We hope to secure funding to more fully develop our pilot workforce development program wherein OCC residents contribute to Oakland Chinatown through community-oriented services while gaining skills and experience that can provide them a pathway to stable employment and housing.

Who does OCC Serve?

We serve adult houseless in Oakland, particularly within the Oakland Chinatown and Jack London Square areas.

What services does OCC provide?

Our services are built on the belief that the houseless are to be treated with dignity and respect wherever they are, and to have access to basic needs of food, shelter, and care. We also help with the following but not limited to:

  • Obtaining essential documents, e.g. ID, birth certificate, social security card
  • Enrolling in Medi-Cal and selecting a health plan and primary care provider
  • Applying for benefits and services, e.g. GA, CalFresh, SSI/SSDI, etc.
  • Providing housing navigation and support, e.g. application assistance, limited financial assistance
  • Preparing for job readiness, e.g. application and resume assistance, connecting to employment and job development opportunities

Where is OCC located?

Family Bridges’ Oak Street Community Cabins is located at 599 Oak Street, Oakland, California at the corner of Oak and 6th Streets.

How do I contact OCC?

For general questions and inquiries, please contact Sakhone Lasaphangthong at [email protected] or call (510) 239-7381.

For monetary donations, please go here.

To donate items or food, please pre-arrange by contacting David Le at [email protected] or call (510) 371-4382. Note: OCC has very limited food storage, particularly of perishable items. Pre-arrangement of food donations is imperative to minimize food waste.

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) 239-7381.

How do I support the Community Ambassador Program?

For monetary donations, please click here

For volunteering opportunities, please click here

To learn more, please check out the following: