Our mission: To help families and individuals build wealth and assets through comprehensive programs of sustainable economic, social, and neighborhood development
What is VITA, and am I eligible for free tax preparation? The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $55,000 or less, persons with disabilities and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals.... Read More ➞
The Unity Council was awarded a $250,000 grant from the Citi Foundation 2018 Youth Workforce Fund to help more than 150 low-income youth in Oakland attain 21st century workforce skills and paid internship and apprenticeship opportunities. One of fifteen organizations across the U.S. and the only one in the San Francisco Bay Area selected to receive this grant, The Unity... Read More ➞
Displacement is the single biggest threat facing many communities in Oakland today. The Fruitvale District, which is Oakland’s densest and most diverse neighborhood, is in peril of drastic and irreversible transformation as the area’s historic Latino, African American, and East Asian communities are driven out by rising cost of living. Market rate rents increased more than twice the rate of... Read More ➞
Casa Arabella is the result of two major community organizations working together to increase affordable housing for East Oakland. Oakland, California – January 23, 2018 – The Unity Council (TUC), an Oakland-based social equity development corporation devoted to improving the quality of life in Fruitvale and like communities through an innovative, neighborhood-focused economic equity approach, working in partnership with East... Read More ➞
Tax season is here! And our VITA staff and certified volunteers are ready to help qualified candidates file their income taxes for free. VITA is available by appointment only. Please call 510-535-6101 to make an appointment. Click here to learn more about the VITA program. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program at The Unity Council has been providing free... Read More ➞
Last school year, six teenage parents whose children were enrolled in our Cal-SAFE Early Head Start program received their high school diploma through ACOE’s Fruitvale Academy High School. California School Age Families Education (Cal-SAFE) is a program for pregnant and parenting teen parents operated by the Alameda County Office of Education. The Unity Council operates an onsite Early Head Start... Read More ➞
The Youth Leadership program is a new initiative focused on empowering youth, ages of 14 to 20, through a socially conscious training on Oakland and Bay Area issues for those that are currently or were previously enrolled in other Unity Council youth programs. An average of 15 youth will critically analyze social issues affecting their communities and make connections to... Read More ➞
On 2018, OUSD asked TUC if we could train their newcomer youth to be job ready and help them find employment. Thanks to the Citi grant, we now have more capacity to serve newcomer youth and give them an OYE-like training with job readiness and whole-person wellness components. We recognize that attaining employment is their immediate need, as opposed to... Read More ➞
The Unity Council serves 187 Early Head Start children and 180 Head Start children throughout our Concord and Oakland grantee-operated programs. The 2017-2018 school year was the fifth full year of operation for the Concord programs. We have two child care partners in Concord. Concord Child Care Center, a NAEYC Accredited program, serves both Early Head Start and Head Start... Read More ➞
Providing social services for low-income seniors is a priority of The Unity Council, as an organization, we are committed to making sure our seniors are connected, engaged, and supported. Every year, for the past 39 years, the senior services staff at The Unity Council has hosted a Thanksgiving Luncheon for low-income seniors. The luncheon is the senior center’s largest annual... Read More ➞
As part of The Unity Council’s Community Programs Department Pathways to Health Careers initiative, we are working in collaboration with Alameda County Social Services Agency and the Castro Valley adult school to offer a tailored Medical Assistant Certificate & Internship program for CalWORKs recipients. This 6-month pilot program is meant to increase the economic stability of low-income families by placing... Read More ➞
Neighborhood Builder awards will help scale programs addressing systemic challenges to sustainable employment and displacement The Unity Council (TUC) was awarded the 2018 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® award for our work serving individuals struggling with employment, homelessness and the high cost of living in gentrifying communities. As part of the award, the largest philanthropic investment into nonprofit leadership development... Read More ➞