Preparing for hardship is not about expecting the worst. It is about building the kind of stability, awareness, and support that allows you to navigate challenges with clarity instead of chaos.

This Women’s History Month, we honor Black women as architects of opportunity — from founding schools during segregation to leading today’s workforce and entrepreneurial growth. Education and employment are not separate from wellness — they are foundational to generational empowerment.

This year marks 100 years since Dr. Carter G. Woodson launched what was originally known as Negro History Week - a deliberate effort to ensure Black history was recognized, preserved, and taught in a society that often excluded it from mainstream narratives.

The start of a new year is always a moment of reflection - an invitation to pause, breathe, and reset. But 2026 brings something different. Many individuals and families are entering this year with a desire for deeper grounding, healthier habits, and more financial stability.

When your being and doing are aligned, what you “have” naturally begins to transform. You start experiencing more ease because you’re no longer in conflict with yourself. You build deeper, healthier relationships because you’re showing up authentically. You create opportunities, not from desperation, but from purpose.

The legacies of these kings and queens were not only written in stone or gold — they were carried in the hearts of the people who followed them. To honor their memory today, we must do more than remember; we must live as they did — with intention, courage, and love for our people.

Families in Oakland are feeling the squeeze with higher rents, rising food prices, and unstable jobs are stretching budgets thin. Against that backdrop, there is growing interest in something more grounded: cooperative businesses, community enterprises, and models rooted in mutual support. These are not just alternative business forms: they are part of a mindset shift—one that sees economic stability, shared prosperity, and community wealth as attainable through collective

That’s where mindfulness in the workplace comes in. Mindfulness—a simple, intentional practice of being fully present—can reduce stress, improve performance, and help us bring our best selves to both work and family life.

The face of homelessness in the United States is shifting—and growing. On a single night in January 2024, an estimated 771,480 people experienced homelessness across the country, marking an 18% year-over-year increase, the highest jump ever recorded according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).