Oakland youth center founded by NFL player at risk of cutting programming after city funding cuts

OAKLAND, Calif. - A nonprofit organization that supports youth in West Oakland is set to lose its city funding this year, after the City of Oakland made big cuts for several nonprofits due to budget constraints. 

If you’re a football fan, you may recognize the name Josh Johnson. Born in Oakland and raised in California, Johnson has spent years as a quarterback in the NFL. In 2017, he founded the Family First Foundation which aims to support Oakland's youth. 

Local man founds youth foundation

The backstory:

"It’s the seed of our beginnings…it dates back to before we were born. Being born in Oakland in the 80s, right after the Panthers [Black Panthers] dispersed, the impact was still there." Johnson told KTVU. "To me, it inspired my mom to start her own summer program because it reflected what they did."

Johnson and his siblings are all involved with Oakland's youth, something their mother also committed her time to. It wasn’t long until the City of Oakland realized how valuable the work the foundation was doing, and the city offered the foundation a yearly grant to support operations. 

Recent budget cuts from the city are putting some of the foundation’s programming at risk. Those operations include after-school and summer programs aimed at teaching kids vital skills like cooking, financial literacy and art. 

"This was a partnership that we took on together with the city in hopes that we’d work together, and that’s why we’re doing this right now to try and get them to do their part in the partnership," Johnson told KTVU. 

In 2023, the Oakland City Council approved a yearly grant of $195,000 in funding until 2025. In February, the Family First team learned the funding would be cut. 

Johnson, who now plays for the Baltimore Ravens, has played 10 seasons in the NFL. But his commitment to the youth of Oakland runs even deeper than his love for football.

"We were born and raised in The Town, so everything we created was based on our grassroots understanding," Johnson said. He told KTVU he saw what happened to his peers who had nowhere to spend their free time and what happened to those young folks who didn't have adults in the community to look up to. 

"We saw it with our peers: when there’s no direction, they started doing what they see," Johnson said. 

Oakland’s mayoral candidates tell KTVU that youth funding is vital to lowering crime and preventing violence

What they're saying:

"Funding cuts for our youth program and youth services…it's devastating. For families who are depending on it, relative to positive activities for their children over the summer and throughout the year," said Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor. "Those impacts extend broadly because it’s youth programming and activities that I know firsthand helps to reduce the amount of violence in our streets, keeping our kids engaged and occupied. It helps to create positive pathways, mentorship and those things that really allow us to thrive."

Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee shared the following statement, "If elected mayor, I am committed to ensuring Oakland’s fiscal stability while prioritizing public safety. A key piece of my comprehensive public safety plan is expanding and enhancing year-round after-school and summer programs, so we can provide safe, structured environments that keep our young people engaged and out of harm’s way. Together, we can maintain public safety, support our youth, and build a stronger Oakland," Lee said in a statement. 

Johnson said no matter what the future holds, he and his family will still be supporting Oakland’s future.

"We got a plan for you, all the way to 24 if you don’t have one. However, we’re gonna be on you, we’re gonna be inspiring you, so you can figure it out on your own, so that you can be self sustainable," Johnson said.

If you would like to partner with the Family First Foundation, either to build programming for youth or to support the foundation financially, please visit the foundation website.