August Partner Spotlight: Black Organizing Project
CFR is launching a new partner spotlight series! Meet this month’s spotlight: Black Organizing Project.
Community Financial Resources (CFR) is launching a new series to highlight the amazing work our partners are doing and the impact these partnerships have on the community. Meet this month’s spotlight: Black Organizing Project!
The Black Organizing Project (BOP) is a Black member-led community organization working for racial, social, and economic justice through grassroots organizing and community-building in Oakland, California. Their Bettering Our School System (B.O.S.S) campaign efforts focus on ending the criminalization of Black and Brown students by ending the school to prison pipeline and eliminating the Oakland Unified School District Police Department (successfully achieved this year!) Rooted in arts, culture and political education, BOP’s vision is to develop a new generation of leaders as an essential part of rebuilding the foundation of the Black community.
About the Partnership
CFR partnered with BOP as a part of our COVID-19 emergency response program. The program was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and works to provide community members with emergency cash assistance to meet families’ basic needs, such as paying for rent, housing, food, utilities, healthcare costs, or unpaid sick and family leave.
CFR and BOP have collaborated in enrolling nearly 100 BOP members and community in CFR Focus Cards, with $45,000 in funds being disbursed.
BOP has reported this work has had a positive impact on the community:
“Partnering with CFR has truly been impactful. During COVID, a completely unpredictable and unprecedented moment, many community members have been hit hard in many life-changing ways. The support from CFR has allowed BOP the opportunity to respond to real, immediate needs in our community in a way that wouldn’t have been possible, if not for the partnership.”
BOP has also reported influential changes within program participants since partnering with CFR:
“The real-life impact and immediate support provided to our community and members has provided some financial relief in lives, thus, restoring the whole household and family in many ways. When a family has access to their most basic needs, there is more opportunity for them to be well, present, and have the capacity to lead and push the day to day work our members and communities are committed to.”
“I am so grateful for this support, especially right now. Thank you for thinking of me…. I will pay this forward.”
As our partners at BOP note, “economic justice is racial, social and political justice – none exist independently, and all must co-exist in order to truly foster holistic wellness and livelihood.” The team at CFR is proud to partner with BOP and share BOPs critical work towards justice and uplifting our community. Learn more about BOP’s programs here.
