Lincoln's Longtime Champion: Witkin Charitable Foundation

One of Lincoln's consistent champions over the past several years has been the Bernard E. & Alba Witkin Charitable Foundation, which has been a supporter of Lincoln's programming since 1998. In particular, the late Alba Witkin -- who was well known in the Bay Area for her generosity and support of many local organizations -- had a special interest in supporting early childhood education, due to its long-term impact on children. Currently, the Witkin Foundation provides support for Lincoln's Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) program, which services nearly 700 children, ages 3-5, each year and supports 10 Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Child Development Centers (CDCs). The Wikin Foundation also recently provided a $10,000 planning grant to Lincoln, as we prepare to open an on-site Family Resource Center at the Mandela Gateway Apartments.

Kenneth Kuchman, Witkin's Executive Director, described the Foundation's special relationship with Lincoln: "The Foundation supports Lincoln due to Lincoln’s provision of a unique array of comprehensive programs and services for some of the Bay Area’s most vulnerable populations.  This programmatic work fits with the primary focus of the Witkin Foundation, which is to fund programs which benefit children living in the East Bay counties of Alameda and Contra Costa. Over the past several years, the Witkin Foundation has supported Lincoln’s Early Childhood Mental Health Intervention Program in Oakland.  In addition, this year, the Witkin Foundation has also provided a special grant to Lincoln in support of the planning phase for the development of an on-site Family Resource Center at The Mandela Gateway Apartments to be located in West Oakland."