Brentwood mom trades dead-end jobs for career with nonprofit’s help
Shaunette Buchanan used to dream of becoming a real estate agent when she grew up, enamored with the idea of showing off all the features that she imagined her own …
Hayward family finds shelter, hope after loss of father
After Roxanne Stanton’s children saw their father pass away from a heart attack in their home in September, they couldn’t feel safe there anymore. Her youngest, Darwin, who is named …
Once abused, Tri-Valley Haven volunteer now helps to end the cycle
Cindy Gavello knew about the fears and anxiety of domestic abuse long before she became a volunteer to help victims. Twenty-five years ago, her husband hit her, yelled at her …
Oakland girl with cerebral palsy finds a team of her own
April Cookston remembers the days she sat watching in her wheelchair as her brothers played soccer, longing to scamper in the grass with them. But she was confined to the …
Homeless vet slept under Oakland overpass, now in his own studio
Instead of living in Army barracks, Robert Bruce would pitch a tent in the nearby woods. He preferred the isolation. While not a troublemaker, the infantryman was repeatedly disciplined for letting his hair …