A Thank You Note from Our Executive Director Noni Session
Dear supporters, investors, and community owners of EB PREC,
Every single time an investment came in in the last 45 days, every time a reporter called to make an inquiry about our work, and every week when my co-workers provided updates about our progress, I celebrated like everyone else does- with a simple high five, a big-ass smile, and/ or a "woohoo!"
But on the inside of me, I was constantly holding back tears and stopping myself from screaming from the top of my lungs because I felt so much joy, gratitude, and hope witnessing my lifelong dreams for Oakland coming to life: friendships, trust, justice, and equity!
My entire life, I've seen Oakland vacillate between suffering and prosperity, growth and decline, being a ghost town and then climbing the New York Times' list of "top places to visit!" Now, in my 40th-ish year, I can finally say that I actually see a bright future for us together, which makes everything we've done together (( i.e. the all-nighters, the back-to-back meetings and events, the "just one more" community outreach push on our "day off,")) all of this feels so damn worth it!
Let's keep believing in our Goddess-given right to self determination and let's not forget all of the people and organizations that have paved the way for us to get here. Ready for a shout-out avalanche? Coz here it comes:
SHOUT OUT TO:
- Our role models who inspired us to believe that we can protect land and capital from profit-driven exploitation and create ownership for our community members: Peacock Rebellion, New York Rec, and Hasta Muerte!
- Our summer intern Laurel Chen for bringing a vibrant energetic presence and making some BOMB ASS communications materials!
-Francis McIlveen and Ian Winters from the Northern California Land Trust for being our champion and our guarantor for our first loans and funds from the City of Oakland!
- Our partners and event co-hosts for spreading the word, hosting our pop-up orientations and solidarity salons, letting us table and more!**:**Pan African Festival, SURJ, Leslie Gordon and Larisa Cassilas from Urban Habitat, Jonathan Fong from the Jack London Farmers Market, The Canopy Coop, David Jaber from the Parker Street Coop, Sustainable Economies Law Center, Planting Justice, Mandela and Brandy Mac and Designing Justice Designing Spaces at the pop-up resource village, LIFT Economy, and Repaired Nations for relentlessly teaching about our work at book clubs!
- Our most regular phone-banking volunteers Sis Nau T, Aleta Toure, and Miranda for overcoming the awkwardness of reading our overly long voicemail scripts (over and over and over!) to spread the word about our capital campaign!
- Janelle Orsi of the Sustainable Economies Law Center for sitting through hours and hours of meetings and for her visionary energy, patience, and commitment to creating housing for all!
- To our real-life models who posed for our social media testimonials: Laurel, Cari, Beti, Talia, Teresa, Neil, Jeremy, Aleta, Sis Nau T, Shannon, Eve, Annie, and Jason!
- To our Investor Owners and Community Owners for the love, support, money, and brainstorming sessions on our property selection criteria!
- And to everyone else for re-posting, sharing, and blasting out our message that EVERYONE DESERVES A HOME!
THANK YOU!
In solidarity from your sister and comrade,
Noni Session
Executive Director, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
