Amanda Jenkins did not believe in God until she became homeless. In what she saw as her only alternative to an abusive relationship, she began living in Richmond encampments and her life of faith began.
“I had to get out and being homeless was the only way I could get out. I learned that there is definitely a higher power. As challenges came, I learned to get on my knees and pray about it,” Amanda said.
For seven years the Bay Area native and mother of six lived in tents and eventually an RV on Rydin Road. In early 2022, she met Payton Silket, a Faith in Action East Bay organizer who also coordinates Belong Circles. One of the Belong Circles had transformed into an LOC (Local Organizing Committee) that worked to provide relief to the residents. With the closure of the Rydin Road encampment set for fall of 2022, the LOC also advocated for promised relocation assistance from the City of Richmond.
“I fell in love with Faith in Action East Bay (FIAEB),” said Amanda, who now lives in a Richmond apartment. “I remember calling my mom and telling her that I was going to make it. At FIAEB they love you until you love yourself. They accept you and don’t look down on you. Everyone is so nice and inviting and helpful. No one else had ever made us feel like that.”
Growing as a Leader
Last fall Amanda took part in the FIAEB Leadership Development Training and in January was one of 103 people across the PICO California Statewide Network who participated in the School of Faith and Power held in Los Angeles. The week-long Leadership Conference brought together clergy, federation, and community leaders to learn from one another, meditate on the shared mission, and strategize for a better collective future.
“It changed my life forever! Never had I been anywhere beyond the Bay as an adult by myself. I learned about everything: government, politics, systemic racism, power, and how knowledge is power. The School of Faith and Power taught me how to have a voice and speak up for those that don’t have one.”
Amanda is active with the FIAEB work on housing and plans to participate in the statewide housing action on April 20. She is also continuing work with Operation Ground Zero, a non-profit she started to advocate for the unhoused.
“My goal is to be an organizer like Payton. You are always ahead of the game with him. I want to work on any type of advocacy for us low-income, forgot-about people. My experience of being homeless helps me say, ‘You can change. You can do it.’ I just had to go through what I had to go through. I know God has been setting me up to do this work.”