When those of us in LA – especially Brentwood – think of Oakland, the images that come to mind probably aren’t very favorable. Many of us think of murder, crime, poverty, homelessness, racial tension.
Recently, In-and-Out Burger announced it was closing its only remaining location in Oakland. The location was reportedly busy and still profitable, but concerns for customer and employee safety took priority, according to company management. There is simply too much crime in Oakland, according to In-and-Out.
Governor Newsom recently announced he was sending in added CHP and other safety personnel in an attempt to crack down on crime in Oakland.
So I was curious when I was recently invited to attend a presentation by John Huddle and Daniel Cooper of EIKON, an Oakland-based homelessness and poverty outreach program.
The program was being touted as a success, and I wanted to see what EIKON was doing to beat the odds. We have our own homelessness, poverty, and crime problems here in LA. What can we learn from EIKON?
EIKON started at a church in Oakland. John Huddle was called to Christian ministry there and, upon arrival, was taken aback by the living conditions he confronted. At his urging, his congregation began to do what it could—find someone shelter, provide some free lunches, take unwanted furniture, and get it into the hands of those who needed it.
Many who sought help had mental health and substance abuse issues. Some suffered domestic violence – or violence on the streets. Almost all lived at or below the poverty level.
One day in 2020, Huddle got a call asking if EIKON could use several truckloads of food. In an act of spontaneous combustion, Huddle and his associates gathered in the church’s parking lot to unload, organize, store, and distribute the goods. Volunteers showed up in big numbers to help.
After this initial success, the word got out. Others in the region began contacting EIKON, asking the congregation if EIKON could use food, furniture, office supplies, and returned merchandise. The answer, of course, was a resounding “yes.”
Today, EIKON operates a warehouse in Hayward, near Oakland. Office Depot, Puma running shoes, and others now make regular drop-offs. WorldVision, a 501(c)(3) devoted to helping children, helps provide weekly truckloads of donations from a well-known seller of home goods.
EIKON quickly distributes food and goods to 45 points of distribution in eight East Bay Counties. The program benefits 1521 individuals living at or below the poverty line each month, according to Huddle.
In addition to the collection and distribution of food and physical goods, EIKON operates an after-school program called YES (Youth Environmental Studies) and a StopWaste program. EIKON regularly prepares free meals under the umbrella of “Infinite Christmas.”
EIKON is now gearing up to build a village of tiny homes on a church property in Hayward. The village will consist of 12 micro-homes, each 252 square feet. The target population is unhoused California State University East Bay students.
Though EIKON has its roots in Christian values, there is no attempt to proselytize by members of the EIKON community among those seeking help. It all starts with modeling hope, according to Huddle. Members of the EIKON community try and give individuals the belief life can actually become better. This gets them started on the road to recovery and self-improvement.
Here in Los Angeles, any religious tie-in can get in the way of a religious organization’s receiving funding from city or county agencies. This isn’t true in Oakland, said Huddle. The City of Oakland and Alameda County are so desperate for support that they will accept help from just about anyone, said Huddle.
According to Daniel Cooper, Huddle’s partner, EIKON actually saves the city money by doing things more cost-effectively than the city can. Many couches, television sets, and other items that might otherwise be dumped on street corners are effectively recycled back into others’ homes by EIKON, Cooper said.
EIKON just received a $20,000 grant from Alameda County to continue its work.
Here in LA, there are many churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues that do good work at the local level to help the poor and the homeless. But without coordination with, and funding from, governmental authorities, many of these efforts remain piecemeal and under-funded.
But, the potential in all this “people power” is formidable and should not be overlooked. Many places of worship have underutilized parking lots that could be used for tiny home villages. If religious organizations commit to not proselytize, wouldn’t LA benefit from having access to all this volunteer labor and available land?
LA should revisit its “no funding for religious organizations” policy. It’s self-defeating.
Those of us who go to various services should talk this up within our congregations. If there is any interest, I’d be happy to try and connect the right people to explore some win-win partnerships. If interested, please send me an email: jeffhall@mirrormediagroupla.com.
Even though Oakland might seem far away, there is much we might learn from what’s going on up there. EIKON started with very little and now has big momentum. Surely, we have the same potential here.
Should you feel inspired, consider making a contribution. Maybe programs EIKON runs in the East Bay will benefit us here in LA one day.
To learn more about EIKON, go to eikons.org.
