Expressing Gratitude

Estructure is grateful for the opportunity to work with outstanding clients in support of their missions and goals. We are also committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work. As an expression of our commitment, we have made a financial contribution to local organizations selected by each employee.

In our own words:

Maryann Phipps

The greatest gift I received from my parents, both immigrants who never went to high school, was an education. 71% of students in Oakland are low income and the majority would be the first in their family to graduate from college. A contribution to the East Bay College Fund will help low-income Oakland students afford and thrive in college. Education has the strong potential to shift generational poverty. This feels like a great way to invest in our community.

Tom Wismar

I am directing my donation to the Alameda Point Collaborative (APC). APC is the largest supportive housing community in Alameda County. Since 1999, APC has provided housing, job training, child & youth services, and skilled counseling to help stabilize families and break the cycle of poverty. APC is a well-managed and highly successful nonprofit community resource that can effectively use our support.

Darrick Hom

I believe in the idea that the ability to read opens the door to endless possibilities for one’s life, and therefore I have chosen the East Bay Children’s Book Project (EBCBP). Exposure to reading is diminishing due primarily to poverty and video technology, and is a major issue for many low-income families with children. The EBCBP works to put books into the hands of children who have little or no access to them. They have given away nearly 2 million books over the past 13 years.

Kelly Bitzer

For many years I volunteered with the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Contra Costa County (CAPC) and saw firsthand the incredibly valuable services they provide. CAPC works to help break the cycle of child abuse and keep kids safe. Programs support CAPC’s mission to promote the safety of children and prevent child abuse and neglect by raising community awareness, influencing public policy, educating the community, providing resources and support to families.

Sarah Durphy

My donation is going to Community Education Partners (East Bay). There are thousands of homeless and highly mobile children in the Bay Area, all of whom need and deserve support and consistency in their educations. CEP supports the education of these kids by providing them with specialized tutoring and much-needed school supplies, as well as by raising awareness and advocating for them.

Chiara McKenney

Art has an exceptional ability to empower the people who create it, which is why Youth Spirit Artworks (YSA) is my choice. YSA is an arts job-training program that encourages low income and homeless youth in the Bay Area to find their voice through art. The organization, located a few blocks from our office, provides arts education, opportunities to participate in public art projects, and art entrepreneurship training. YSA is also spearheading a tiny home village and publishes Street Spirit.

Alix Kottke

Backpacking and outdoor adventures have been formative experiences for me. Big City Mountaineers provides similar experiences to underrepresented youth in 7 metropolitan areas, including the bay area. Alix is happy we will provide young people with similar opportunities that have been so influential to her.

Margaret Villamil

I am excited that a contribution to Habitat for Humanity East Bay/ Silicon Valley will help empower our neighbors to build stable, new foundations for their families. Permanent housing provides a sense of security and community that can enable young people to flourish. Habitat is hard at work and will be holding a dedication ceremony in Fremont this January to celebrate its newest homeowners.

Megan Leon

CityTeam, which attends to the immediate needs of the homeless in Oakland is an important non-profit that I am happy to be able to support. They offer 3 meals every day, overnight shelter, and an extended men’s program with a learning and career center. I am proud that Estructure is contributing to an organization that extends compassion and hope to our neighbors.

Shannon McIntyre

I have volunteered at the Alameda County Community Food Bank with my family and daughter’s girl scout troop. The Alameda County Food bank supports the idea that food is a basic human right and they work towards a stronger, more nourished Alameda County, where no one worries where their next meal will come from.