A Showcase of How Alameda County Employees Care for their Communities
Latest Updates
The Social Services Agency (SSA) is pleased to announce that the 2024 Back to School Backpack Giveaway was an outstanding success!
Throughout various office locations, the SSA distributed over 1,000 backpacks filled with essential school supplies to children of all ages in the communities we serve. These events, organized by the Departments of Children & Family Services and Workforce & Benefits Administration, exemplify our commitment to preparing students for a successful academic year.
Specifically, the Enterprise, North Oakland, Eastmont, and Gail Steele Self-Sufficiency Centers collectively distributed more than 652 backpacks, showcasing our dedication to community spirit and generosity. Additionally, in collaboration with staff members at Enterprise, the ACSO Deputies contributed and distributed additional backpacks.
Volunteers at the ILP office on Hegenberger distributed 363 backpacks, with special thanks to Beyond Emancipation for hosting and to our Child Abuse Prevention Task Force for their volunteer efforts.
We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone involved, from our generous donors to our remarkable volunteers. Your collective efforts have made a significant impact, ensuring that students begin the school year well-prepared and enthusiastic. We look forward to continuing these community initiatives and achieving even greater success together in the futureits for patients and families at Children’s Hospital. They collected coloring books, notebooks, crayons, markers, colored pencils, games, and other items. The donations had to be cleaned and wiped down first since they are going to the hospital. They were then assembled into kits and delivered to Children’s Hospital.
Animal Shelter Drive
In March, our Information Technology Department (ITD) organized a donation drive for East Bay SPCA. They collected 30 blankets, 20 towels, food (5 bags, 124 cans, 30 pouches), 12 bags/boxes of treats, 22 toys, 6 collars, and 2 bowls for the animals staying at the animal shelter.
Lake Merritt Cleanup
On April 17, 2024, our Information Technology Department (ITD) gathered to pickup trash from around Lake Merritt. This had become an ITD tradition until the pandemic hit. Now, they have restarted it. They partnered with the Lake Merritt Institute who provided gloves, trash cans, and tools to pickup and retrieve trash in and around the lake.
Paper Flowers
In May, our Information Technology Department (ITD) gathered to make paper flowers for seniors at the Hong Fook Center here in Oakland. The hope was that the flowers could bring some joy to the residents’ day.
![ITD members putting together activities kits for the children's hospital](https://acgovcares.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/activity-kits.webp")
Activity Kits
In June, our Information Technology Department (ITD) creating activity kits for patients and families at Children’s Hospital. They collected coloring books, notebooks, crayons, markers, colored pencils, games, and other items. The donations had to be cleaned and wiped down first since they are going to the hospital. They were then assembled into kits and delivered to Children’s Hospital.
Stories
CAO Book Drive
Looking for a way to give back to the community and also support a fellow County department, staff at the County Administrator’s Office (CAO) reached out to the County Library to host a book drive at their offices.
The CAO teamed up to purchase old favorites, fun board books, early reader books, and a variety of others to be donated to children visiting incarcerated parents or guardians at Santa Rita and Glenn-Dyer Jails. Nearly 140 children’s books and cash donations were collected for Start With a Story – a great feat during an already busy holiday season!
In the U.S., an estimated 2.7 million children, ages 5-18, have a justice-involved parent and around 10 million children experience parental incarceration at some point in their lives.
An Alameda County Librarian who runs the jail’s inmate literacy services initiated Start With A Story in early 2007 after watching children wait in line for hours — often an entire day — to spend a few minutes with their incarcerated loved ones. An untapped opportunity to provide literacy outreach to these youngsters was recognized, and since then, Start with a Story has delivered story times, free books, and family literacy activities to children, 0-16 years old, who come for visits at Alameda County jails.In 2018, roughly 2,300 books were distributed through Start With a Story.
For more information on Start With a Story and how you can help, contact Lisa Harris, Director of Social Justice Services at lisa.harris@acgov.org or Raul Rodriguez, Jails Literacy Specialist at rrodriguez@acgov.org.
Volunteer
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.”
– Oscar Wilde
Alameda County employees play many roles in delivering a wide range of vital services to our communities like health, well-being, safety, vital, recreational, and infrastructure. Our employees are proud to continue their community service off hours too. We collectively volunteer our time to helping local non-profit agencies, and programs deliver their services to the community.
The organizations could use your help too. Won’t you join us in caring for the communities around you.
You can get started by viewing the opportunities in your area.
Combined Charities
The mission of the annual Combined Charities program is to provide a platform for Alameda County employees to give to the charity of their choice. Pledges are made annually through one-time requests or via payroll deduction to help spread the donation over the year. Workplace campaigns are a very efficient form of non-profit fundraising to help make our community and world a better place.
This past year’s them was “Unity. The Power of Giving.”
2023
$372,032
2022
$401,218
2021
$395,033
2020
$426,702
Alameda County employees create imaginative displays out of non-perishable food to fight hunger in our community during the annual Stone Soup Competition! Now in its eighth year, the Stone Soup Drive has provided thousands of meals for East Bay families.
2022 Board of Supervisors Office Display – “Have a Heart”
You can help contribute in the fight to end hunger, too! Alameda County Food Bank takes donations year-round.
Stone Soup Food Drive Displays
Photos and Video
Mentorship
Alameda County is proud to host a number of wide-ranging Mentorship programs throughout the year.
Find out which of our varying programs might be a great fit for you, and check back to see if the opportunity you’re interested in is accepting applications.
Youth Leadership Academy
A program that gives high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to learn about and discuss County programs and services, develop leadership skills and meet students from schools throughout Alameda County.
Citizens Academy
A 6-session interactive program that provides insight to County services and operations and offers opportunities for civic engagement in the County.
Student Internship Program
The internship program at the Alameda County provides the interns an opportunity to work on the latest technologies solving real business problems under the guidance of an experienced professional.
Disaster Relief Fund
“Each of us as human beings has a responsibility to reach out to help our brothers and sisters affected by disasters. One day it may be us or our loved ones needing someone to reach out and help.”
– MICHAEL W. HAWKINS, AMERICAN RED CROSS
The United States is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease known as COVID-19 that has now been detected in worldwide, and communities everywhere are dealing with unprecedented challenges. We have asked the Board of Supervisors to formally approve the reactivation of the Alameda County Disaster Relief Fund to enable Alameda County employees and people in the community to voluntarily make cash and/or online donations to benefit the victims of this unprecedented event.
The Alameda County Disaster Relief Fund was initially established in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and has been reactivated several times to help victims of tragic events including mass shootings, hurricanes, earthquakes and fires.
We assure you that all contributions to the Alameda County Disaster Relief Fund will go directly to helping the many people impacted by COVID-19.
COVID-19: Donate Personal Protective Equipment
The County is organizing donations of much needed personal protective equipment (PPE).
We can only accept new items in original packaging.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):
- Donating 100 individual pieces of PPE or less? Donate directly to hospitals, long-term care facilities, or the local fire department.
- Donating 100 individual pieces of PPE or more? Email covid.donations@acgov.org with a list of items to be donated and you will receive drop-off information.
Supplies we need include:
N95 or P100 Respirator Masks
Surgical Masks
Protective Gowns
Disposable Gloves
Hand Sanitizer
Disinfectants & Wipes
Goggles & Eye Protection