Significance of Programs
* Youth Participation- Fight Crime Invest in Kids reported that violent crime triples when the school bell rings and that “On school days, the prime time for violent juvenile crime is from 3 PM to 6 PM.”.Outcomes of this study indicate that boys left out of after-school programs were 6 times more likely to be convicted of a crime. Youth left out of after-school programs were 50% more likely to have children during high school while youth involved a program were half as likely to drop out and 2.5 times more likely to attend college.
* Income and Health- Research directly correlates health-related issues and disease with income and race. According to the CA Dept. of Public Health and the US Census Bureau, the EOBA is located in a community where approximately 70% of families are living at or below poverty levels and approximately 60% of families earn less than $20,000. A report of hunger by the Alameda Community Food Bank (2008) indicated that 38% of children in Alameda are subject to an irregular food supply, malnutrition, and to lower quality foods significantly increasing the risk of obesity, diabetes, and other profound health complications.
* Physical Activity and Exercise- Research shows that regular physical activity in childhood improves strength and endurance, helps build healthy bones and muscles, helps control weight, reduces anxiety and stress, increases self-esteem, and improves overall health. Team Up for Youth’s report onOrganized Sports and Educational Outcomes (2009) found that: Youth participating in sports are higher achievers in terms of grades and have lower dropout rates; Sports participation builds planning skills and provides the experience of failing and trying again; Girls find participation in sports to be a way to break gender stereotypes; and Connecting to a peer group improves a child’s sense of belonging, building self-confidence and reducing the feeling of marginality that is characteristic of many children with learning, social, emotional, physical, or economic challenges.
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EOBA Facts
* The EOBA has provided free programs in the East Oakland community since 1987 to over 30,000 youth and their families.
* The EOBA recently received recognition by from the CA State Legislature for being “Dedicated to the Sustainable Future of the Community” and the CA State Assembly for “Collaboration on Green Jobs and a Green Economy and Commitment to Providing Youth with Work-Readiness Training, Leadership Skills, and Guidance”. EOBA also received the “Green Hero” Award for efforts in making Oakland a greener city.
* EOBA's organic garden is a certified backyard wildlife habitat through the National Wildlife Federation.
* To provide the highest quality of services, the EOBA partners with over 20 Bay Area based organizations.
* We distribute over 4,000 pounds of food each month during its monthly food distributions.
* The EOBA has been providing high quality programs in the East Oakland community since 1987and has consistently met all OFCY contracted services and goals for the last 10 years and is on target to provide 121,411 units of service in FY 09-10. In FY 08-09, EOBA delivered 117% of its contracted services with a 93% youth satisfaction score and assessments report that 96% of participants’ parents feel that EOBA's services effectively produced developmental performance.
* The Youth Leadership and Development program is reported by parents as a positive and successful mechanism to aid youth in becoming more positive and proficient. Currently, 90% of youth in this program are on track to graduate from high school with a 3.0 or higher.
Stanley Garcia, former professional boxer and long-time Oakland resident, founded the East Oakland Boxing Association in 1987 because he felt strongly that boxing kept him positively engaged and off the streets. Since then, the organization has expanded its services to include academics, gardening, art, enrichment, field trips, and more.
