Haroon moved from Afghanistan to the Bay Area in 1981 and has called Alameda home since 1990. He spent his adolescence and high school years in Alameda and has seen the city become denser and more expensive. For Haroon, Alameda has maintained its respectful, neighborly culture, and is a place where he feels connected.

Haroon deeply values his family and he spends much of his day as a transit driver operating local buses or working as a rideshare driver to provide for them. When he’s not working, enjoys jogging along the South Shore, going for walks with his family or enjoying dinner at his favorite local restaurant, La Penca Azul. As a bus and rideshare driver, he often chats with his passengers who lament the rapidly changing Bay Area.

Being in Rise Up Alameda allowed him to support and provide for his family, paying for utilities, rent, recurring bills, and the “tiny things” that add up. He described being in the program as “relief on the pressure valve” and reprieve from the high cost of living in Alameda. His family was able to pay off debt, catch up on back payments, and have some breathing room from work, contributing positively to their overall well-being while in the program.