Soul of the City

More than 500 volunteers threw down at projects across Oakland in the morning helping our Town thrive by gardening, picking up litter, creating art, doing community outreach, and feeding hungry folks.

As part of Soul of the City campaign, the Ella Baker Center organized residents to help Oakland shine through volunteer work at more than 20 service projects around the city.

Alicia Caballero, an associate with Ella Baker Center’s volunteer division known as “Soul of the City,” said it was great to hear how neighbors were excited “to get their hands dirty and really do something for the community.” Caballero said that Saturday was more than just another day of service, but a way to encourage more residents to view their neighborhood and city as an extension of their own homes.

Hundreds of volunteers will work this week on 25 service projects in Oakland.

If you sense an exceptional air of benevolence on the streets of Oakland on Saturday, August 13, don't chalk it up to a kindhearted coincidence. It could be due in part to the Soul of the City's Throw Down for the Town Oakland Service Festival.

More than 200 people are slated to come out Saturday to work on about two dozen service projects in Oakland, organizers from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights said.

All over town on Saturday, volunteers will head out to community gardens, dog parks, senior centers and schools to spend the day trying to improve Oakland.

Amaka Agbo, Campaign Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights talks with Oakbook Magazine about the 1 year anniversary of one of the Ella Baker Center's newest campaigns.