There Is Hope: 2013 in Review
The Advent season reminds us to wait in anticipation, to wait with hope for a Savior and for salvation. This world is desperate for justice, desperate for hope. We hold on to moments of hope from this past year.
One of our promising young adult leaders stands on the stage with me at a local suburban church, telling stories about life in Oakland and our ministry efforts. During his segment of the presentation, I look out at the crowd and watch people listening and learning from his words. It is a beautiful moment for me to see a young man from East Oakland blossom as a leader and public speaker in front of my eyes. There is hope.
As I watch a 15 year old who lives in what we in East Oakland call “The Vill” sit in the large cushy red chair and calmly give his information to the bank employee, my mind flashes back a year ago to a confused teenager running away from home and into a dangerous situation. My mind flashes back another year to picking him up at a hotel room after a SWAT raid had destroyed his entire apartment complex with toxic chemicals and broken walls and doors (although the person they were looking for was not there). Here he is, an intern at the Oakland Leadership Center, depositing his paycheck into a real bank account instead of a check-cashing store like many of his adult neighbors. Here he is, installing a computer program on a Mac Mini computer, preparing to teach his fellow high school students how to make hip hop beats. There is hope.
I sit and type this letter, while a local construction company takes their last measurements to build a control room and booth for our music studio. They were asked to donate a few minutes to consult with us on the construction, and they decide to donate all the labor and materials, to completely build it for us. There is hope.
Reverend Harry Williams gives an inspiring message to basketball players at a gym in Deep East Oakland, through our very own Oakland Independent League. A large rowdy crowd is asked to be quiet and still in between games. Players are asked to stop warming up for the next game. He challenges them to turn to God and a good life while they are still young. The crowd listens carefully and even gives their sincere thanks for Rev. Harry spending his time to visit. There is hope.
At our Center on Fairfax, we host a potluck party for the end of an eight-week workshop on spending our time and money on what matters most. An incredibly diverse group of adults have taken tangible steps together towards wholeness and the way of Jesus. We have given possessions away, created weekly time management plans and even shared our personal spending plans. There is hope.
Meanwhile, two young men in their twenties are starting a basketball team for teenagers, and a young woman is starting an initiative called Rising Voices to give high school students an opportunity to fight for justice in Oakland. A music studio is about to open, and Shalom of Oakland is continuing our important and unique work with a new name, Oakland Leadership Center.
As our organization has evolved, we are focused more than ever on "developing young adult leaders with the character of Christ." To clearly reflect our vision and mission, we are changing the name to OAKLAND LEADERSHIP CENTER.
As 2013 comes to a close, please consider a year end donation to keep us moving forward. Please continue to support our humble efforts in East Oakland. We still need financial donations. We still need prayers. We still need friendships that break down cultural boundaries.
Thank you for reading and for caring! There is hope!
Nate Millheim for the Oakland Leadership Center
