Children Rising

Volunteers Needed!

Will you help make our Family Festival extra special?

We are getting ready for our Summer Children Rising Family

Festival, and we would love your help making it a joyful day for kids and families.

The festival will take place on Saturday, June 6, from noon-3 p.m. at Snow Park in Oakland, and we are looking for volunteers to help before, during, and after the event. It will be a fun afternoon of community, connection, and celebration, and volunteers will play an important part in helping everything run smoothly and making families feel welcome.

If you would like to volunteer, learn more and sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdl_KtSDtoujTU0Fk27nbLuf90eDQSNAWSor5HbxY2XKL5hTA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=116259770539901043228

Thank you for all the ways you help children and families thrive. We would love to celebrate with you and hope you can join us.

When life gives you lemons...

When life gives you lemons... make literacy fun! 🍋📚

Hey Children Rising Family! Memorial Tabernacle Church (CHSC)'s next Lemons & Literacy session is just around the corner.

Whether your child loves getting lost in a story, building STEM projects, or expressing themselves through art, there is something here for everyone.What’s in store:

📖 Reading Circles

🎲 Literacy Games

🎨 Personal Expression

🧪 STEM Activities

The Details:
🗓️ Saturday, April 18th, 2026
⏰ 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
📍 Memorial Tabernacle Church 5801 Racine Street (Corner of 58th & Telegraph), Oakland, CA

Ready to join the reading fun?
Sign up for the April 18th session here:
👉

Lemons & Literacy Join us for Lemons & Literacy, a fun in-person day of reading, lemonade, and community joy!

🌎➕ Volunteers needed for Count on Earth Day! ➗🌱

Join Children Rising for an afternoon of fun math games, hands-on activities, and student joy at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School. We’re partnering with MLK’s After-School Program to welcome about 180 students (grades K-5)—and we’d love your help making it a great day.

Two ways to serve:
✅ Materials prep (office): Friday, April 17, noon-4 p.m. (shifts available)
✅ Event day: Wednesday, April 22 — volunteer shifts 12:45-5 p.m. (setup, booths, and cleanup; event runs 1:45-4:15 p.m.)
📍 MLK Jr. Elementary Playground, 960 10th St, Oakland

Whether you want to run a game booth or help behind the scenes with setup/breakdown, every pair of hands matters.

👉 Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtAMFxQ0RlUvO3WMmxTSL_0X8-3TRc_kvSXd3d_qN4-_uf4A/viewform

In a challenging time for Oakland children and families, community matters more than ever.

In her Winter 2026 Perspectives, Executive Director Marshelle Wilburn shares a vision for widening Children Rising’s Circle of Care — so more children are surrounded with encouragement, resources, and opportunity. This moment calls for more than concern. It calls for collaboration.

Read the article 👉🏻 https://www.children-rising.org/2026/03/30/supporting-oakland-children-and-families-children-rising/

A Circle of Care for a Challenging Time Executive Director Marshelle Wilburn shares how Children Rising is surrounding Oakland children and families with literacy support, mentoring, family engagement, and community partnership.

Because of you, families stay connected to their child’s learning — even in a demanding season. 💛

When one family moved to Oakland for their young son’s medical care, a mom worried about how her daughter was doing at school. Then the Spanish-language updates started coming. With reading and math tutoring plus FamilyBridge support, she felt informed and relieved — and her daughter kept moving forward.

Read the story 👉 https://www.children-rising.org/2026/03/26/care-when-a-family-needed-it-most/

Care When a Family Needed It Most A family moved to Oakland for their young son’s medical care — and Mom worried about how her daughter was doing at school. Then the Spanish-language updates started coming. Because of you, she’s informed, supported, and relieved — and her child is making progress.

Julie Wu’s journey began with a simple "yes": volunteer tutoring in Oakland public schools. Today, she teaches special education at Franklin Elementary—proof that showing up, week after week, can change lives (including a volunteer’s). READ >> https://www.children-rising.org/2026/03/24/when-service-becomes-a-calling/

Oakland Unified School District

When Service Becomes a Calling From volunteer tutor to special education teacher: Julie Wu followed a calling into Oakland public schools. Your support helps caring adults keep showing up so students can build skills and confidence.

You're helping Oakland kids build strong foundations in reading and math—at school and at home. 💛
See the progress you helped carry home in Your Report Card, our 2024–25 Impact Report.
👉 Read the Impact Report: https://www.children-rising.org/2024-2025-annual-impact-report/

🎉 There are just hours left before the ball drops!

You can help a child in Oakland start 2026 with confidence and hope. Every gift given before midnight is matched dollar-for-dollar—that means double the impact for kids who need it most.

Let’s start the new year strong, together!
👉 http://children-rising.org/matching