Ending the year on a bright note

Good People - as 2025 comes to a close, I am happy to share key accomplishments that stand out to me that represent the beautiful power we share as a beloved community devoted to bringing light and hope to single mothers in Oakland.  Looking back, I'm glad we opened this past year with the soulful phrase, "We Got This!", because it really did set the stage for shared responsibility, resilience and solidarity, in the midst of political chaos, unkind policy changes and the breakdown of safety nets for the vulnerable.  In spite of it all, together we moved this beautiful mission forward.  

Here are some of the great moments and impact we created together....

Single Moms at Work Employment Pathway:  Graduating Donnisha Hardaway

Let's celebrate Donnisha Hardaway, one of our 2025 Single Moms at Work Employment Pathway participants.  Donnisha arrived to us after losing her job due to business closure at Walmart where she worked for 8 years.  Unsure about her future, Donnisha was anxious about her life and the fear of not being able to provide for her sons.  Well, we're here to tell you that Donnisha completed our 6 month training in June, excelled and was promoted to KeyHolder, becoming a new member of our social enterprise team.  Because of her presence, our social enterprise has added warmth and order (because she wouldn't have it any other way). To top it off, Donnisha was accepted as a new candidate in the JobTrain Property Management Program, a new partnership we hold with the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF), starting 12/15.  Now, Donnisha will continue to work with us on weekends while participating in the 11 week program which will prepare her for full-time employment.  It has been a dream of mine to build a pathway to gainful, long-term employment for our participants.  Happy to announce, we're living the dream.  Special kudos to Belinda, uu Board of Director who provided mentoring support to Donnisha.  Next time you're in the store on Saturday or Sunday - congratulate Donnisha on her future. 

Donnisha graduated from the program in May 2026 in the company of her three sons.  

New Team Member Highlight:  Taylor Thompson, Workshop Coordinator

Let's "throw our hands in the air," for Taylor Thompson, uu's Workshop Coordinator. Taylor joined our team officially in June 2025 - after being a member in our volunteer community.  Today, Taylor coordinates the programming that occurs at the workshop, which was made possible by the California Rise Award, the state's first investment in employment social enterprise in partnership with REDF, Lendistry and the CA Department of Small Business.  Taylor worked magic, tapped into her professional network and developed a partnership with the Track Talk Music Club and founder Kyra Freeman (like a book club, but for music lovers), where young professionals gathered in our workshop to share their love of music and One Year Ago Today, a story-telling workshop that takes participants through the journey of writing their story and moving it from the pages into an open mic experience, led by Thomas Lymon.  Taylor also works with the team to coordinate the professional development and team building activities at the workshop, to include bringing in T    Love of Yogo who offered yoga classes to our moms and team members, as a way to support our collective well-being.  Taylor's calm spirit and brilliance has resulted in an increase in earned revenue and individual contributions at the workshop to include our fantastic partnership with Cocoa Christmas Crawl, founded by Brionna Lewis.  Taylor has been a thought partner to me and our team, I look forward to scaling our mission with her by our side. 

Taylor Thompson, uu's Workshop Coordinator modeling at our Single Moms Fashion Show

New Cultivation Event Launch:  Walk In Her Shoes

Walk In Her Shoes, our first cultivation event and gathering that occurred on November 14th, at the workshop, was definitely one of our most powerful moments this year,  With the intent to share our mission to new donors and supporters, Walk In Her Shoes, was designed to bring folks closer to our work and promote empathy, through experiential activities shaped after the actual flow of services and activities experienced by our single mother participants.  Attendees moved through "experience stations," to include budgeting, childcare and employment - while carrying a doll representing the balance of navigating life and care of one's family.  In ninety minutes - attendees from across our community and sectors became closer to the mission, with one person stating that her "empathy grew," while understanding our mother's experiences from the inside out. In the new year, we will offer Walk In Her Shoes quarterly (next one in February 2026), to bring in more believers, supporters and donors in closer proximity to our cause. 

Prepping for A Walk In Her Shoes

In closing,  I'm really proud of how our team, board of directors and community pulled together on the behalf of single mothers striving to make significant change in their lives.  

In 2026, we will take bolder steps to bring power, possibilities and pathways to our single mother community.  Stay tuned, stop by to volunteer at the store or to lead a workshop.  Maybe you're a professional or accomplished retiree and interested in joining our board of directors or committees. Or maybe you'd like to take a giant step with us and join our inaugural Donor Circle.  Whichever activity inspires you, we look forward to standing together with you as we stand with striving single mothers in Oakland.

Much love - Tracey

Tracey, Founder & Executive Director - urban university