Evangelina first got involved with EBAYC in 2001, when her two children enrolled in EBAYC’s after school programs at Roosevelt Middle School and Oakland High School. She was deeply moved by the impact EBAYC had on her children as she watched them grow and develop. She began attending parent meetings organized by EBAYC, and eventually became a parent volunteer. After volunteering for 5 years, Evangelina joined the EBAYC staff as a Community Organizer.

She provides support services for families, organizing events and encouraging parents to be involved with their children’s education. One of Evangelina’s children returned to Garfield Elementary to be an EBAYC Academic Mentor. In her decade of working and organizing, she has seen the impact that parents, families and the community can have when they work together to advocate for our young people. Evangelina is also a key member of the East Oakland Congress of Neighborhoods, a collective of East Oakland nonprofit organizations, community members and families advocating for improvements in the community.