First time homebuyer lunch and learn seminar presented by Wells Fargo

 

You’re invited
The Corporate Advantage Program® provides convenient, competitively priced home financing options for employees looking to purchase or refinance a home.

Prepare for one of the largest purchases most people make. Learn more about finding, financing and owning a home in today’s real estate market.

• During the presentation you will gain a better understanding of these homebuying basics:

• The benefits and costs of owning a home

• Credit, debit and mortgage qualifying guidelines

• How different kinds of mortgages work

• How to choose a REALTOR® and shop for a home that’s right for you


Date: April 8, 2014
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Oakland Chamber of Commerce Board Room

Tommy T. Nguyen, REO Specialist
Phone: 510-267-1300 ext. 1321
Cell: 415-504-5382 Tommy.T.Nguyen@wellsfargo.com
www.wfhm.com/tommy-nguyen
NMLSR ID 698417

Receive a $500 gift from Wells Fargo - When you close on your home purchase or refinance your mortgage with Wells Fargo, you are eligible to receive a $500 thank you gift through the My Mortgage GiftSM program. Ask your home mortgage consultant for details.1

Karen White, Private Mortgage Banker
Phone:510-446-5142, Cell: 510-418-7156 Karen.L.White@wellsfargo.com
www.KarenLWhite.com
NMLSR ID 745701

1. Eligible individuals can receive the Wells Fargo My Mortgage GiftSM promotion approximately 6 weeks after closing on a new purchase or refinance loan secured by a first mortgage or deed of trust with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, subject to qualification, approval and closing, when identifying themselves as eligible. The My Mortgage GiftSM promotion is not available with any Wells Fargo Three-Step Refinance SYSTEM® program, The Relocation Mortgage ProgramSM or the HOME program. Only one award permitted per new loan. This promotion cannot be combined with any other promotion, discount or rebate. This promotion is void where prohibited, transferable, and subject to change or cancellation with no prior notice. Gifts may constitute taxable income. Federal, state and local taxes, and any use of the gift not otherwise specified in the Terms and Conditions provided at receipt of gift are the sole responsibility of the My Mortgage GiftSM recipient. Please see Terms and Conditions document for more information.


Information is accurate as of date of printing and is subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. © 2012 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801. AS1022781 Expires 6/2014

 

Dia De Los Muertos 2013

Dia de los Muertos 2013 was a great success! Thanks to The Unity Council & Sponsor Wells Fargo for a great event Saturday November 2nd in the Fruitvale area of Oakland.

There were many beautiful altars from local artists, the community and local businesses plus the food was just as diverse as the crowd. With pony rides, a kids zone, carnival rides, stages with many talented bands there was something for the whole family to enjoy. Check out some pictures here on the blog, on our Facebook page and The Unity Council's FB page! 


Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de Muertos) is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died.  The celebration takes place on October 31, November 1 and November 2. Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.

The Unity Council (officially known as the Spanish Speaking Unity Council) was founded in 1964, incorporated in 1967, and received 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in 1968. The Unity Council is a non-profit community development corporation committed to enriching the quality of life of families primarily in the Fruitvale District of Oakland. Its mission is to help families and individuals build wealth and assets through comprehensive programs of sustainable economic, social and neighborhood development.

Save the Date-Dia De Los Muertos- November 2nd

The Unity Council and Wells Fargo present the 18th annual Dia De Los Muertos Festival at the Fruitvale Transit Village in Oakland, CA.

WHEN: Saturday, November 2^nd, 2013, 10am– 5pm

WHERE: Fruitvale BART and surrounding area

Admission to Festival is FREE!!

*Handmade, exquisite altars on display by local artists in memory of those who’ve passed away
* Festival guests are encouraged to contribute their own small offering or drop off pictures of loved ones that are no longer with us to the community altar located on the corner of East 12th Ave and Avenida de la Fuente
* Continuous entertainment on three stages- Hosted By Telemundo, La Raza, Mundo Fox/Estrella and KBLX.
* Carnival rides, Pony rides and petting zoo will be on-site at the children's pavillion
* Authentic food, drinks and other festival favorites will be available for purchase from a variety of local vendors!

Come and enjoy the flavors of Latin American cuisine and enjoy a day filled with  entertainment, art and community. Find out more by going to www.unitycouncil.org/dia-de-los-muertos or by emailing unitycouncildia@unitycouncil.org.

Want to contribute to this year’s festival? We need you to be a volunteer! Volunteer shifts are 3 hours, and are available in the morning for set-up, during the festival, and after the festival at clean-up. Volunteers are needed to greet guests, assist our vendors and artists, and help guests have a great experience. All volunteers will receive a FREE Dia t-shirt with this year’s poster art, FREE lunch and snacks throughout the day! Sign up to volunteer by emailing volunteer@unitycouncil.org. For more info, click here.

Career Fair

Thank you to our amazing chamber member,
Wells Fargo as the corporate sponsor for the upcoming
Bay Area's13th Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair. 

The Stars come out at Chamber's 107th Annual Meeting

The 107th Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce recognized and celebrated its members, the lifeblood of the organization.

The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Solomon Ets-Hokin, a senior vice president of Colliers International. Other award winners were Holistic Veterinary Care (Small Business Innovator), Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland (Nonprofit Impact), Wells Fargo (Education First), Kaiser Permanente (Community Contributor) and Romeo Garcia (Leadership Alumni).
A seventh award, a new category reflecting Oakland’s popular restaurant scene, was “Best Oakland Dish,” which involved four local restaurants and a caterer and their signature dishes. Those winners were Chop Bar, Brown Sugar Kitchen, A’ Cote, Mua and Blue Heron Catering.
“Our Board members, staff and volunteers are here today to thank the hundreds of local businesspeople who continue to work on the critical issues that make this Chamber the finest and most diverse business organization in the most diverse city in America,” said Chamber President Joe Haraburda.

The meeting also featured a change in Chamber leadership, with Chairman of the Board John Nelson, a partner in the architectural firm of murakami/Nelson, stepping down after two years and passing the gavel to Shannon Pedder, owner of BRAND: CREATIVE.

During his remarks, Nelson said, “We have emphasized the importance of many issues during the past year.” They include:

• A balanced budget for the city and pension reform statewide.
• Defended property rights for individuals and businesses.
• Recommended long-term thinking and vigilance to prevent unintended financial consequences to decisions made without consulting the business point of view.
• Advocated for the speedy appointment of our new police chief, Howard Jordan.
• Fueled the discussion to expand police academies, and thankfully three are being planned.
• Encouraged the federal monitor to seek a solution to an end to the federal oversight.
• The gang injunction in Fruitvale and North Oakland and believe more should be implemented.
• Supported technology upgrades including shot spotter and improved in-car computers.
• Supported education, collaborating with Tony Smith of the Oakland Unified School District and the Peralta Community College District’s parcel tax initiative.
• Advocated to end the Occupy encampment.
• Encouraged business savvy appointments to the Port Commission.

The event was sponsored by Visa, Inc., “More people go with VISA,” and was attended by nearly 400 local businesspeople at the Oakland Marriott City Center.

Accepting the Volunteer of the Year Award, Ets-Hokin said, “If you stop and think about it, just about everything we do in life is voluntary. And it seems like we are always compensated one way or another for our voluntary actions. Sometimes our compensation comes in the form of consequences. And sometimes it comes in the form of that satisfaction you get when you do something that is important and impactful for the greater good. The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, which is effectively the business community that is sitting here in this room today, is truly a wonderful greater good to serve and be a part of.”

The Winners

Volunteer of the Year – Solomon Ets-Hokin started the Oakland Retail Advisory Committee (ORAC) in April 2010, in answer to a recommendation within the Oakland Retail Enhancement Initiative, which was adopted by the City Council in 2009. The committee consists of some 15 members with deep experience and varying backgrounds in all aspects of retail leasing and development. Its members meet once a month with elected officials and community stakeholders to review projects and plans to enhance retail in Oakland.
Education First – Wells Fargo has a long-standing commitment to local education. In November 2011, the company announced $1 million in new grants to benefit education throughout the Bay Area, and including the $1 million, Wells Fargo has donated more than $13.3 million to schools and nonprofit organizations for educational purposes in the Bay Area since 2009.

Best Oakland Dish – Chop Bar (Oxtail Poutine with oxtail gravy, French fries, and Fiscalini cheddar), Brown Sugar Kitchen (cornmeal waffles with tarragon-laced buttermilk fried chicken), A’ Cote (mussels with Pernod from the wood oven), Mua (kabocha squash tempura) and Blue Heron Catering (roasted filet of fresh Pacific salmon with chardonnay oak salt finished with creamy fresh herbs and lemon butter). 

Small Business Innovator – Dr. Gary Richter at Holistic Veterinary Care and his holistic approach typify the new ideas of small business, developing a new model to meet the needs of his customers and helping to build a new method, a new approach to build a new, strong business in a very competitive climate.

Community Contributor – In the spirit of industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, Kaiser Permanente has continued to demonstrate to Oakland and the region the same commitment to humanity as its founder. Kaiser Permanente has continued to follow the philosophy of giving, demonstrating tolerance for all people.

Nonprofit Impact – Community service and social justice have been an essential value at Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland for 100 years, and today the facility continues to provide equal access to exceptional health care for kids in our communities and beyond – regardless of their ability to pay.

The Chamber thanks the many sponsors that made the
Annual Meeting such a great event:

• Presenting Sponsor: VISA, The Preferred Card
• Award Sponsors: The Clorox Company; Kaiser Permanente; Oakland Restaurant Association; Southwest Airlines; Visa; Wells Fargo
• Inner Circle Sponsors: Buttner Properties; Port of Oakland
• Table Sponsors: Alameda County Medical Center; Alta Bates Summit Medical Center; Bank of America; Barney & Barney LLP/Pankow Builders; Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland; Chiodo Art Development; Colliers International; East Bay Regional Parks; Fitzgerald Abbott & Beardsley LLP; Full Court Press/murakami/Nelson; Jack London Gateway Shopping Center; KTVU/Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP;  Matson Navigation; McGuire & Hester; PD Wolf Law; Recology East Bay; Securitas; Visit Oakland