Roots in the Community

Trybe began in 2008 with grass-roots activities in the San Antonio/Lake Merritt community of Oakland, responding to felt needs.  There was a diversity of people but very little mixing of people. Crime is high in the area. There is high youth unemployment.

Trybe began to have family movie nights in backyards and bought a jumper for children and youth to play in together. Families and youth did not go trick-or-treating in the neighborhood so Trybe helped sponsor a Halloween party with the local Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council in Bella Vista Park, which was attended by over 800 people.

Each year since then, Trybe has hosted the annual Bella Vista Halloween Party and in 2013 the event was completely led by Trybe youth from Oakland High School.  Over 800 people trick or treating in their own neighborhood, with people coming from other parts of Oakland, even the hills! 

Youth did not have much to do in the local park so Trybe helped set-up skateboard ramps, helmets, footballs, basketball nets, and brought youth leaders to provide more activities in the park, including a summer internship program with youth from Berkeley Youth Alternatives. 

Youth and under-served adults did not have many employment opportunities so Trybe focused on jobs,  helping youth with resumes, interviews and network connections which resulted in over a dozen full-time jobs and thirty part-time jobs for youth at both small businesses (Oakland Recycling center, Evergreen Lodge, and various Oakland eateries) and large businesses (UC Berkeley, Port of Oakland, and local banks).

Trybe has continued to build its programs by filling service gaps, responding to community needs, and threading itself into the fabric of the neighborhood, forming organic relationships of trust and building bridges between people.

Trybe has led initiatives to:
 
-Increase the health and safety at a local public elementary school by helping the school advocate for a new playground instead of using a city owned playground.
 
-Respond to crime and violence in a positive community building manner: through peace walks and hosting large community events such as the Eastlake Connection Night where service providers came to engage with over 500 families creating opportunity and access for low and moderate income families.  Non-profit, city, state, county, and faith-based service providers were on hand, along with for-profit businesses and organizations, tabling together to offer their services to the community.  The night was filled with music, food, people, children, and families connecting.

-Continue to serve and impact youth through internship programs, pre-workforce development, youth nights, and college trips to San Diego and Santa Cruz.

-Beautify a violent neighborhood corner by applying for and being awarded a City of Oakland District 2 grant to hire artists to work with the community to paint a mural.

-Establish a youth and family resource center where various early childhood playgroups are hosted: Early literacy, Bi-Lingual, LGBTQ family groups, and preschool readiness.  The Trybe Center has become a hub of community activity with youth groups, after-school tutoring, women's drumming group, girls groups, fathers support groups, and community celebrations.