Unpack the Real Stuff: Voices of Contra Costa

Did you know that Richmond, CA residents can access electric vehicles for as low as $4 and hour or $35 a day? Yes. It's called carsharing and it allows you to access a vehicle, pass traffic on the freeway by using the carpool lane and saves money on gas! How can this be?

Well, join our host Suzette Chaumette as she interviews Rachel Heckl (Director of Strategic Expansion for Miocar.org), Gloria Huerta (Chief Operating Officer for Miocar.org) and Saundra Wallace (Richmond resident and Miocar.org user) as they discuss this new carsharing program for Richmond residents, how to access these vehicles and explain just how easy it is to use.

We promise, that by the end of this episode, you'll see why it's just a smart decision to register every person with a driver's license in your home with Miocar's carsharing service. Also, listen to the end to get a great money-saving deal that you just can't pass up!

Join our host Suzette Chaumette and our guests Jim Becker & Alvin Lewis of the Richmond Housing Renovation Program as they explore homeownership and how RHRP is making homeownership a possibility for folks in the East Bay. We talk about why home ownership is so important, especially for our BIPOC neighbors.   The challenges that come up for those seeking homeownership and the solutions we have found to give folks better access to "the American Dream" - owning their only little piece of America.

In today’s episode, Suzette Chaumette talks to Erica Yanez and Dante Miguel from Healthy Contra Costa (formerly known as Healthy Richmond).  They explore how we transfer power to residents of Contra Costa that have historically had very little power or input in decisions and policies made at a local level. How do we get the average resident involved to speak up about the issues that we care about i.e. housing, gentrification, food security, safety and healthcare.  How do we transfer power to marginalized Contra Costa residents that change the current system and provide equity to everyone in our community?

Learn more about Healthy Contra Costa by visiting their website.

Join our host Suzette Chaumette and our guest Taylor Sims, Program Director of RCF's new initiative Equity for Black Women and Girls as they explore why it is essential to focus on the needs of Black Women and Girls in Contra Costa County.  They explore the issues, problems and challenges that are specific to Black Women and Girls in the county and what we should do about it.

Equity for Black Women & Girls is an awareness campaign to help inform the public of the inequities experienced by an essential segment of our community.  The goal of these efforts is to ensure Black Women & Girls gain access to resources that can help them overcome and change current policies, practices, and attitudes that are the root causes of the inequities that we see today.

Join our host Suzette Chaumette and our guests Loren Dalbert and Estela Nuñes from Mobility LABs as they explore what it looks like when the residents of a community define true success in their community.  What does it look like when we give power to the people?  What does it look like when we help folks in a community advocate for themselves and create safe spaces?  And why "safe spaces" are so important.  NOTE: Part of this episode is in Spanish.

Únase a nuestra anfitriona Suzette Chaumette y a nuestros invitados Loren Dalbert y Estela Nuñes de Mobility LABs mientras exploran cómo se ve cuando los residentes de una comunidad definen el verdadero éxito en su comunidad. ¿Cómo se ve cuando le damos poder a la gente? ¿Cómo se ve cuando ayudamos a las personas en una comunidad a defenderse y crear espacios seguros? Y por qué los "espacios seguros" son tan importantes. NOTA: Parte de este episodio está en español.

In today’s episode, Suzette Chaumette talks to Gerardo Mendoza (also known as Jerry) from SparkPoint Contra Costa.  They explore the daunting challenges that college students in Contra Costa face while trying to succeed academically.  We unpack real conversations on getting the young people of our community the support they need to succeed through all the new challenges, issues, and problems they are facing today. 

In this episode, we touch on how SparkPoint Contra Costa -- through its programs on the Contra Costa College and Diablo Valley College campuses -- offer a number of career, coaching, and financial services (for FREE for students) year-round to help make ends meet for students. Every SparkPoint client gets a coach who helps create a step-by-step plan to set and achieve personal financial goals - from getting out of debt, to going back to school, to finding a job.

Join our host Suzette Chaumette and our guests AnDrea Neal and Anjali Sawhney from Embodied Leadership Coaching Program as they explore what coaching is, the advantages of receiving coaching, why folks in our community need coaching, and how coaching can change our community for the better. Let's dig deep into the concept of being pro-active in gaining and maintaining our mental wellness. We unpack real conversations on getting the support we need to succeed through all the challenges, issues, and problems we are facing today.