8th Annual Walk To End Poverty - Lake Merritt - Oakland, CA

OAKLAND, Calif. - May 8, 2013 - PRLog -- Oakland, CA – Join the Alameda County – Oakland Community Action Partnership (AC-OCAP) on Saturday, May 18, 2013 for the 8th Annual Walk to End Poverty as we come together to march in solidarity to call an end to POVERTY. The first 400 attendees who bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the food drive, sponsored by our corporate partner Schnitzer Steel, will receive a FREE event t-shirt. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the Lake Merritt bandstand – across from 666 Bellevue Avenue, just behind Fairyland.  The walk starts at 10 a.m. sharp!

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 11.8% of Alameda County’s residents live below the federal poverty and 14% of those are children.  With more than 1.5 million residents living in Alameda County, that means that 183,456 men, women, seniors, and children are struggling to make ends meet.  While the median household income in Alameda County is $70,821, for those living in poverty the annual household income for a family of four is $22,350 or less and for a family of two it’s $14,710 or less.   “Today, the ironic part is that a large portion of the families who are living in poverty are labeled as the “working poor” – that means that folks are employed but still don’t have enough money to meet life’s basic necessities such as food, shelter or the ability to pay their electric bill” says Estelle Clemons, Manager, Alameda County – Oakland Community Action Partnership (AC-OCAP).

In 2010, the Alameda County – Oakland Community Action Partnership provided vital services to over 28,000 County residents.  The AC-OCAP Board hopes that this annual event will continue to help raise the community’s consciousness about the social factors that impact our families, such as the issue of poverty.  “We want our community advocates to join us and take the Power of 10 challenge by recruiting 10 of their co-workers, friends, or family members to participate and get involved” says Monique Rivera, Event Board Co-chair.  Immediately following the walk, a community resource fair will be held to educate and inform the community about available programs, services, and opportunities for those who qualify. Enjoy live entertainment provided by local artists, Oakland’s senior line dancers, Prescott Clowns, and more!  In partnership with the Office of Parks and Recreation, free boating on the beautiful Lake Merritt will also be offered.  Local elected officials will also be on hand to share their ideas and position on how we can collectively work together to address poverty– because together we can make a difference!

About Alameda County - Oakland Community Action Partnership (AC-OCAP)
Community Action Partnerships were established under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as part of America's War on Poverty.  AC-OCAP is part of broad national (http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/) and state (http://cal-neva.org/) network of nearly 1,000 agencies, both non-profit, private and public organizations, that extend across the United States—all working to eliminate poverty on a local and national level.  CAP involves local citizens in its effort to address specific barriers to achieving self-sufficiency.

AC-OCAP is committed to reducing poverty by providing services and programs targeted to low-income individuals and families.  AC-OCAP has been funding programs and projects serving the low- income community for more than 42 years.

First 400 walkers who bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the food drive sponsored by Schnitzer Steel will receive a FREE t-shirt! All food items are being donated to the Alameda County Community Food Bank that serves 49,000 residents every week- nearly half of them are children and teens.  Please no glass containers – thank you!

Schedule of Events:

9:00am: Registration

10:00am: Walk begins

11:00am: Community Fair, Kid Zone, Live Entertainment and Free Boating

Media Contact
Consultant: Y’Anad Burrell
Glass House Communications
510-691-8687 (C)
yanad@glasshousepr.com

Staff: Estelle Clemons
AC-OCAP Manager
510-326-5301 (C)
eclemons@oaklandnet.com