Our children are watching

When my partner Daniel and I hosted Nikki and our neighbors in our home, our 6-year-old Kaya made a colorful sign with Nikki's name on it. Underneath, she drew these rainbow shapes.

When she finished, I realized they weren't rainbows, but tents--a visible reminder of our unsheltered neighbors whose numbers continue to grow. I was heartbroken that the homelessness crisis is so pervasive that "the tents" have come to represent "the Town" in her eyes.


Our children are watching. They see the growing number of people who are living out on the streets and around Lake Merritt. Like us, they know this just isn't right. In fact, many of Oakland's children are actually part of the growing number of people on the streets.

The diverse and inclusive Oakland that drew so many of us--or our families here before us--is in danger. Nikki is running for City Council to make sure Oakland stays true to being a town for all of us.

There are many policies that could have been enacted over the past four years to alleviate the housing crisis. For those who lost their homes during that time, that’s unacceptable. We need someone with these leadership skills to represent us, and Nikki has spent the past two decades as a champion for Oakland residents like you and me.

Every day counts. Nikki needs financial support from neighbors like us, not big developers or corporations like the incumbent. I've already made the maximum contribution. Will you donate too? We need to raise $12,000 before the election. 

In the next 11 days, I also intend to speak to as many of our neighbors as possible about why we believe we deserve more effective representation for our district. Join me to volunteer.

And if you want to get the whole family involved, there’s Halloween visibility. Email Jahmese to get Nikki palm cards to pass out when you trick-or-treat--and join Nikki and team in costume at the Halloween event at Bella Vista Park from 4pm-7pm on the 31st.

Finally, let’s vote for Nikki as our #1 choice, without ranking the incumbent. Let’s select an effective and powerful woman to represent us - a working mom who will champion our values of inclusiveness and equity for all Oaklanders -  and someone who will be accountable to us. We have less than two weeks. Let's make it happen together!

Your neighbor,

Angelica Jongco