COMMUNITY IMPACT LAB
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Our project-based initiatives make a difference. We want to tackle problems in innovative ways, marry needs and resources, and remove obstacles to progress. Help support our projects, and join us in improving lives.

We design each project with three goals in mind:
1. To engage all participants and volunteers in meaningful ways.
2. To take concrete steps towards improving the lives of others.
3. To redefine the way we integrate work, life, and community so that everyone can thrive.

February 24th, 2018

2/24/2018

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
​MEDIA CONTACT:
Christina Means
info@communityimpactlab.org
Inaugural “Community Baby Shower” Presented by Community Impact Lab, Sunday, March 4

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. (February 23, 2018) – On Sunday, March 4, Community Impact LAB (CIL), a non-profit organization focused on empowering women and families, creating positive change, and building strong communities, is hosting the first annual “Community Baby Shower” for 100 vulnerable new and expectant mothers. The celebration will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the San Leandro Boys and Girls Club.

Shower recipients have been invited through 40 Bay Area nonprofits and social service agencies. The women vary in their needs and experiences: they are homeless, newly resettled refugees, victims of domestic violence, undocumented youth, victims of trafficking, or socio-economically disadvantaged. However, they all have the shared experience of becoming a mother under challenging circumstances with little or no support and difficulty with acquiring needed resources for their new child. The Baby Shower serves to ease some of the burdens from the new parent, provide essential resources, and send the message that they are cared for by their community.  
“CIL parents and children have volunteered hundreds of hours collecting, sorting, and packaging over $50,000 worth of essential supplies to gift to new moms in the community that might not otherwise receive them. They do it because they believe that all mothers, no matter her circumstance, deserves to be celebrated and supported. If we can come together to lift women, especially during the transformative experience of entering motherhood, everyone benefits. ” said CIL’s Executive Officer, Xouhoa Bowen.

Through CIL Volunteering events, families engage in impactful service to others, better understand challenges in the community, and put empathy and compassion into practice. In turn, each mom at the Baby Shower will receive Lift Me Up gift boxes and access to a free store with clothing, maternity items, and baby gear. Thanks to the generosity of the San Leandro Rotary Foundation, the event will also include food, pampering stations, children’s activities and resource tables.  For more information about the Community Baby Shower or the CIL’s projects, please email  info@communityimpactlab.org, or visit www.communityimpactlab.org or www.facebook.com/communityimpactlab.

About Community Impact Lab
Community Impact LAB (CIL) is a San Leandro-based nonprofit organization that envisions a world where women and their abilities are valued, where work and life can be integrated, and where families act as a force for positive change. By removing barriers to progress, we empower everyone - especially mothers - to be able to live, give, and grow to their fullest potentials. Our projects leverage the generosity and skills of our members to address social, economic, and educational disparities in our communities, support parents and children through family-friendly opportunities, and empower women through workshops, skills training, and education initiatives. For additional information about the Community Impact Lab, visit www.communityimpactlab.org or www.facebook.com/communityimpactlab.


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Community Impact LAB Brings 50/50 Day to San Leandro

5/15/2017

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Jessica Stark, Women's Empowerment Projects Manager

In looking for ways to continue the momentum focused on women’s empowerment, Community Impact LAB was thrilled to bring 50/50 Day to San Leandro.  Let It Ripple Film Studio and Director Tiffany Shlain produced “50/50: Rethinking the Past, Present, and Future of Women + Power” and developed a platform to share its message and engage individuals and communities in a global discussion on gender parity.
The May 10th 50/50 Day event spanned across the U.S. and the world with over 11,000 events. Two of the key themes contemplated in the film were: “Where are we really on the greater arc of history of women and power?” And “What’s it going to take to get to a 50-50 world, not just in politics and board rooms, but truly shifting the gender balance to true equality for women.”

My name is Jessica Stark, and I recently become more engaged with Community Impact LAB and its vision of creating a world where women and their abilities are valued and where families are supported to act as a force for positive social change.  
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This film was a call to change the narrative, from scarcity to abundance, to call out and recognize the strong, powerful and inspiring women that are around us in our communities and globally. Those who attended reinforced this image, with their bright, bold, intelligent and engaging post-film discussion. I was truly honored to help facilitate and grateful to be apart of an organization that fosters this and a community that supports it.
The most powerful quote to me from the film is from Laura Liswood, who is the Secretary General of Women World Leaders, when she describes change in terms of a standing ovation. That initially it is only a few people who stand and clap, and little by little the audience rises.  It reminds me, it only takes a few to start a movement of change, but eventually we will have the whole crowd up on their feet.

Overall, I came away from this event renewed, inspired and in acknowledgment of how important witnessing and recognizing women empowering women is to ensure that the supportive trend and narrative continues. Community Impact LAB has been an example to me of how empowering women produces results and builds a stronger community. Xouhoa Bowen started this organization with the purpose of helping women and families. Through her engagement and leadership, she’s gathered a group of extraordinary women that make-up the organization’s board and manage initiatives focused on empowering women to live, give, and grow to their fullest potentials. With each social good, learning, and family lab project, the ripples of support and change extend beyond those directly impacted. The more we can pull each other up, mentor and support each other, the more successful we all will be.

I look forward  to being able to help coordinate and participate in more events that recognize, celebrate and support women and families in this community.
A large thanks goes out to Let It Ripple Film Studio for making this film and this day possible, to FilmHero for being our liaison and ambassador for this project, to Pilot City for providing the space to host and to the San Leandro Women Entrepreneurs and all the inspiring women who joined us to make this event a powerful catalyst for change.


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Starting the Discussion

4/26/2017

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Jessica Van Soest, Learning Lab Projects Manager
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With so much happening in the world today, it is not always easy to focus in on a specific topic to analyze and open conversation around. A fantastic documentary, #GoAgainsttheFlow,  was brought to our attention by a start-up called Film Hero. The film features the wisdom of several women entrepreneurs in a mainly male-dominated industry. True strength, innovation, and determination were displayed by these powerful women leading companies brought to life through their hard work and intelligence. After the screening, we had an open Q&A panel discussion with local San Leandro women entrepreneurs and mothers. Taking on the dream of starting a business is not easy, doing it with a young child at home and balancing work and motherhood is a whole new world of multi-tasking and management. Talking with these mompreneurs (Xouhoa Bowen of Community Impact Lab, Neha Sampat of BelongLab, Sara Ubelhart of Zocalo Coffeehouse, and Sysamone Phaphon of Film Hero)  was an uplifting experience that left everyone in the audience leaving inspired. Focusing the discussion around how much women can achieve their goals at home and in the workplace is something Community Impact Lab is trying to bring to light and empower our members to do.

To continue the discussion of kick ass women, we will be hosting another screening but this time we will be joining millions of people across the US and in 27 countries for 50/50 Day on May 10th to screen the film 50/50 and talk about what it's going to take to get to a more gender balanced world! #Gettingto5050 . Let’s talk about it!

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First Annual Egg Hunt at Casa Peralta

4/10/2017

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oin us for the first annual "Egg Hunt at the Casa," a fun, seasonal celebration taking place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the historic Casa Peralta! Co-hosted by Community Impact LAB (CIL) and San Leandro Improvement Association, this family-friendly event offers guests a safe place to do an egg hunt while enjoying the Casa, which will be decked out in spring decor. 🌸

Festivities will include two egg hunts, face painting, music, story time, family-friendly activities and a petting zoo sponsored by Mike's Feed & Supply! The petting zoo will feature chicks and bunnies for the kids (and kids at heart) to play with and pet. The two egg hunts will be broken up by age group—the first one kicking off at 11:15 a.m. for kids three years and under and the second one starting at 11:45 a.m. for kids four years and up. Kids are encouraged to bring baskets for the egg hunt.

Decorations and plastic eggs stuffed with toys and goodies for the kids will be provided by the SLIA and CIL. We hope to see you there!
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Launch of Mamahood Coffee and Conversation Series by Carolynn Langsdale 

3/7/2017

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​We recently launched our brand new series Mamahood Coffee and Conversation, a forum where moms can connect with others, gain support, and discuss topics relevant to their current lives and it went so well that we really wanted to share about it!
Our inaugural meeting was a tremendous success: we had eleven total attendees all of whom shared their need to connect with other parents and learn from one another. Participants shared a little about their current parenting situations, as well as what they wanted to get from their participation in the group. When asked to share their best parenting quality, the group's answers included: flexibility, creating experiences, structure, patience, and fun. The strengths and skills brought to the table by all the participants was tremendous and demonstrated just how important it was to have a space like this series. Moms asked for future meetings to focus on discipline, co-parenting, and relationships -- issues that affect most parents almost daily.
My name is Carolynn Langsdale, and as a child and family psychologist (as well as a parent and a member of our CIL leadership team) the importance of these kinds of connections and caring spaces is in the forefront of my mind both personally and professionally. When I gave a series of talks last year about parenting, it was clear that folks wanted to connect with one another as parents and find strength in one another. I have been working with parents and children since the very beginning of my mental health career and it has been and incredibly rewarding path for me, and fits so well with the mission of CIL. People are at their best not just when they are handed solutions by experts or professionals, but when they find their own solutions and a space like this series allows parents to figure out what will work for their family.
The warmth and optimism of the moms at the table was heartwarming, and a clear reminder of why building community and supports is so vital to parenthood: we cannot do this alone -- we are stronger together.
The space around our group was filled with both laughter and frustration as everyone shared their parenting challenges and recognized their own struggles in others. Even after the official close of the event, several moms stayed back just to socialize with others and continue the feelings of support and care.
Mamahood Coffee and Conversation meets the second and fourth Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Zocalo Coffee House in San Leandro. The group is member-directed and facilitated by members of our leadership team. As with all CIL event, parents are more than welcome to bring their children to these meetings (and several did!).

We hope that anyone in need of this kind of support will join us!
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Doing good: Family Volunteerism by Christina Means

3/7/2017

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75 men, women, and children gathered on a cloudy Saturday morning last month to create small care packages, write messages, and sort baby carriers to send to refugees in Europe. Many people were catching up with friends and neighbors, others were meeting for the first time. This event truly captured the essence of what Community Impact Lab's Social Good projects aim to do: create opportunities for whole families to come together to take action and create change. We believe that it is never too soon to teach children about the importance of doing things for others. Community Impact Lab focuses on creating volunteer opportunities for families to do good together; children of all ages are encouraged to attend, many events are held on Saturday mornings when everyone can be present, and the projects are shaped by the causes our members care about.

There have been numerous studies showing the benefits of volunteering as a child. The obvious benefit is that it improves the community. When children are involved in acts of volunteerism they learn to respect the space and people around them and in turn they become valued members of the community. It promotes a healthy lifestyle and choices as they are less likely to engage in at-risk behavior. It enhances development as children generally learn best through experiences. These opportunities promote  psychological, social and intellectual development.  It teaches new life skills from the importance of being on time and seeing a project through to how to cook or use particular tools. It also promotes the lifelong service ethic that will be passed down to the next generation.

Becoming a mother (twice now) has inspired me to not just believe that each person has the opportunity to be the change we want in the world. I want to show, not tell, my boys that every day we have the chance to make a decision about how we invest our time and energy. That every time we chose to do something good that it matters. I’ll continue to pick up the wrapper left on the beach, smile at people that are different than me, spend a Saturday morning with my neighbors to make sure people across the globe who I will never meet face to face know they are loved and valued. I’ll continue to invest my time and energy so that we all have the opportunities to give as a family.

If you would like to read a more in-depth study of the benefits of volunteering serviceleaders.org is a great resource. To see where the carriers and cards are going and to learn more about Carry the Future please check out their site, http://www.carrythefuture.org/whoweare/.
To learn more about the next volunteering event, help organize a project, or share a cause close to your heart, please email info@communityimpactlab.org or reach out via facebook at www.facebook.com/communityimpactlab.
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 Women Entrepreneurship Go Against the Flow Screening - March 16th

2/16/2017

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Community Impact Lab is teaming up with Groupeezz, Inc. to present a screening of "Go Against the Flow" & a panel Q&A session with inspiring women entrepreneurs and mompreneurs. ​
RSVP Here

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Celebrating Truth is Beauty : Family Art Event

2/16/2017

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Join us in celebration of International Women's Day by honoring the strong women in our lives through art and community.
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Mamahood Coffee & Conversation - Feb. 23rd 

2/16/2017

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Calling all mamas who could use some support! We are launching a new meeting series: Mamahood Coffee and Conversation. This will be a bi-weekly meeting where mamas can come together, talk about a variety of challenges and triumphs in parenthood, and get support from other mamas in their community.
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RSVP Here
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Social Good Lab : Saturday Morning Cartoons & Carriers 2.18.17

1/31/2017

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Come make cards and care packages to send along with baby carriers to refugees in Europe. We'll be sending them on through the folks at Carry the Future. We will be at Casa Peralta in San Leandro at 10:30am! This is the first in a series of weekend opportunities for you to volunteer as a family. ​
RSVP Here

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Mom's Night Out

1/2/2017

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Join us for a Mama's night out with pampering! 
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Lift Me Up Baby Shower Gifts

1/2/2017

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On December 21st, CIL was so happy to be able to fill 40 Lift Me Up Bags containing $6,200.00 worth of clothing, toys, diapers, bedding, books, toiletries and baby gear. These bags will be given to recently resettled refugees, victims of abuse, and other families in need. If you know of an organization working with vulnerable populations that would benefit from our lift me up project please contact us at info@communityimpactlab.org!
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Donation Drop off & Cookie Exchange

12/10/2016

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Please Join us on Sunday, December 18th between 11-1 for a donation drop off, play date and cookie exchange. We are collecting items for our Lift Me Up bags and Gift Boxes for women in need. Please bring new or gently used (and clean) items to contribute to these wonderful projects. All donated items will be going to local families and organizations.
RSVP Here
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Learning Lab: Post-Partum Depression

11/8/2016

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Saturday, November 19th 10am-12pm
​Post-partum depression is a very common experience for mothers and should be talked about a lot more in society. The birth of a baby can trigger a jumble of powerful emotions, from excitement and joy to fear and anxiety. But it can also result in something you might not expect — depression. Join us and learn from somatic psychotherapist Alexis Azzam, MFT.
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Learning Lab: Financial Planning with Pam Capalad

11/8/2016

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Wednesday, November 16th 6pm-8pm
​Financial planning isn't about spreadsheets, graphs, or charts, it's about getting to the root of what you really value and learning how to use money as a tool to help you reach your goals and live your best life. In this workshop, we talk through the three stages you'll go through when putting together a financial plan.
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Families Helping Families

11/1/2016

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Each month a member of Community Impact LAB opens up their home and hosts a dinner donation. Participating families bring all of the ingredients needed to make a delicious and nutritious dinner for the women and children of Building Futures' San Leandro Shelter. These dinner donations give moms and kids the opportunity to engage in acts of kindness while empowering the shelter residents with encouragement and support. Here at CIL, we are families helping families.

To RSVP for these events, join the Community Impact Lab Parent group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/160390720981596/
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Gift Drive for Domestic Violence Awareness Month 

10/21/2016

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Community Impact Lab families rallied together after learning of a last minute opportunity to help women and children escaping domestic violence, homelessness and impoverishment. We believe in finding ways to work to create positive change in ways that are easy, identifiable, and real. In just 2 short weeks, we were able to crowdsource over 1400+ items valued at $6,973.00! Our families learned a wonderful lesson on how impactful small acts can be in our community; 200 kids received gifts of books, toys, and clothes!
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Our Youngest Changemakers

10/18/2016

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​Yesterday CIL hosted an awesome group of moms and their kids for our latest social good project! We assembled gift bags for the Courageous Women Association's free shopping event for women and children escaping domestic violence, homelessness, and impoverishment. We made 25 Lift-me-up bags and mini-gifts filled with donated books and educational toys for 200 kids! Join our kid-friendly events to meet new families and help encourage, inspire, and empower each other while giving back.
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We are all capable.

10/13/2016

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​6 carriers were just dropped off for our #communitylabcarries project. A note pinned to one carrier: "Sending prayers for your safe journey. May you carry your child into a peaceful world."
We can't stop the violence and war on our own, but we are all capable of kindness, compassion, and love. This small gift matters. This act of kindness is more powerful than hate and intolerance.❤️
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Learning Lab: Physical Therapy Workshop

10/3/2016

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Workshops that welcome kids means that more moms get to learn and grow! Last week, our members were lucky enough to get a hands-own opportunity to learn from Jessica van Seost, physical therapist and CIL Learning Lab Manager. She taught the group about common pains and conditions many parents experience, and led everyone in exercises that help alleviate them.


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Fairy Door Workshop & Play Date 

9/11/2016

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Keep your eyes peeled for San Leandro's newest fairy doors!

​Our families met yesterday to create fairy doors. These whimsical doors are rumored to be gateways to the world of fairies. While we can't say that's true, we know they definitely help spread wonder and cheer to our neighborhoods!
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September Dinner Donation/Playdate

9/6/2016

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Bring the kids, and join us in preparing dinner for 30 women and children at Building Futures' San Leandro shelter! The women and children face domestic violence and homelessness challenges. Our goal is two-fold; engaging the whole family in acts of kindness and empowering the shelter residents with encouragement and support. We focus on making nutritious and delicious meals. 

    Join Us!

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No One Left Behind Donation

8/31/2016

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Good things happen when you enable families to act in impactful ways. Our team just delivered $6,000 worth of needed baby supplies (car seats, liftmeup bags, strollers, diapers, baths, and more) to No One Left Behind - San Francisco East Bay Chapter. ​We are so thrilled to be able to support community partners who share our mission to help others.
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August Book Club Meetup

8/28/2016

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Let's challenge each other to reading a book every month (or two)! After each book, we'll get together to hang out and talk about the book.

We'll be reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins this month. 


A few things:
We'll alternate between fiction and nonfiction and all genres are on the table (this month is fiction).
Members will take turns hosting and leading the book discussions. You don't have to host to lead and vice versa. 
Can't get to the end of the book in time? No worries! We totally get it and still hope you'll to join when the month is up!

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Lift Me Up Bag Delivery to the IRC

8/15/2016

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When you empower families to help each other, communities grow. Thank you so much for your generosity! We just delivered liftmeup gift bags, diapers, and other goods to the International Rescue Committee in Northern California to be delivered to refugee families in the bay area.#socialgoodlab

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