| OUSD NEWSROOM |
PRESS RELEASE  Tuesday, February 2, 2021Contact: John SasakiCommunications Director 510-214-2080[email protected]Oakland, CA — Thanks to more than 2,000 individual donors, the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Oakland students and schools has raised more than $2.5 million. The COVID-19 Relief Fund is a joint initiative between the Oakland Public Education Fund and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), and the effort is far from over.  The COVID-19 Relief Fund has helped OUSD provide millions of nutritious meals to students and families. The Fund has also paid out more than $1 million in cash grants to Oakland students and their families with a focus on the unhoused, undocumented, and families experiencing economic hardship because of the pandemic. The COVID-19 Relief Fund also helped the District provide distance learning materials and more than 20,000 permanent and/or loaned computers and internet hotspots.“It’s amazing how our community here in Oakland and beyond came together so quickly to provide the support our students and their families needed. It shows what’s possible when we work together,” said Ali Medina, Executive Director of the Oakland Public Education Fund.  When the pandemic started last March, the Oakland Ed Fund and OUSD quickly launched the COVID-19 Relief Fund. Donations have poured in from around the country, including large contributions from Salesforce and the Stupski and Hellman Foundations.The Oakland Ed Fund and OUSD are continuing to raise money to provide families with financial assistance, launch learning hubs, and prepare for the safe reopening of schools. You can donate now at: https://www.classy.org/give/277078/#!/donation/checkout “We are ten months into this incredibly challenging period for many in Oakland,” said OUSD Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell. “With the holiday season surge in COVID cases, and the corresponding damaging impact the stay at home order had on the economy, many of our families saw their challenges multiply. So, while raising the first $2.5 million was an amazing accomplishment, we are far from done. We need another infusion of support for our families as we navigate what we all hope will be the final throes of this pandemic. Please give generously.” A comprehensive COVID-19 Relief Fund Impact Report is available at: https://www.oaklandedfund.org/give/covid-19/ ###About the Oakland Public Education Fund The Oakland Public Education Fund (“The Ed Fund”) leads the development and management of community resources in Oakland public schools so that all students can learn, grow, and thrive. Learn more at www.oaklandedfund.orgAbout the Oakland Unified School District In California’s most diverse city, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!” More than half of our students speak a non-English language at home. And each of our 81 schools is staffed with talented individuals uniting around a common set of values: Students First, Equity, Excellence, Integrity, Cultural Responsiveness and Joy. We are committed to preparing all students for college, career and community success. To learn more about OUSD’s Full Service Community District focused on academic achievement while serving the whole child in safe schools, please visit OUSD.org and follow us @OUSDnews. |
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