In today’s economic climate it is almost impossible to pick up a newspaper or turn on the television or radio and not hear the words “recession,” “crisis,” or “foreclosure.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of January 2009 the national and statewide unemployment rates were 7.6% and 10.1%, respectively, both at their highest marks since the mid-1990s. You would be hard pressed to find a community unaffected by the recession. East Oakland Community Project is no exception.

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