Nichole Gardner for City Council 2020

My name is Nichole Gardner. I am running for Antioch City Council in District 3. I am originally from Richmond California. My mom got an opportunity to move my sisters and I to Antioch in 1995 when I was 13 years old. We escaped the chaos, violence, crime, and drugs of North Richmond. I met my high school sweetheart and now husband at Antioch High school and we have been together for 20 years. We decided to start a family and now have two sons, both in Antioch Unified School District. Though challenging, I have worked hard and played by the rules to get my life on the right track. 

In 2017 I started a non-profit called Facing Homelessness. We provide food and necessities to the homeless community in Antioch. During my interactions with the homeless, I realized that they were lacking much needed resources and did not have access to a shelter or a care center in the city. I decided to start my advocacy group Antioch Homeless Advocacy Coalition (AHAC) in early 2019. I along with other members in the community (including homeless individuals) attended city council meetings and addressed the garbage and blight within homeless encampments and in our shopping centers. We also had meetings to discuss problems and solutions around homelessness in the city. I started attending city council meetings in May of 2019 and have not missed a single meeting since.

Initially the city said that services for the homeless in the city was a County issue. Since my advocacy the city has put over $500,000 towards homeless services, $150,000 for an unhoused resident coordinator, have put multiple porta potties and dumpsters around the city, they are negotiating with motels in the city to provide motel rooms for homeless families, and they have worked with and assisted our organization with homeless encampment clean ups.

There are many reasons why I decided to join this race including housing, youth services, police reform and helping black and brown communities.

Providing resources for our communities of color, including youth programs where children have access to mentors and counselors, jobs and training programs and affordable housing is also a priority.  Growing up in Richmond, where opportunities were extremely limited, my mom was able to receive a section 8 voucher and we were given the opportunity to have a better chance at life by moving to Antioch. So, I know that giving people who are struggling a helping hand can change their lives for the better.  

Being a mother of two black boys, I am deeply concerned about issues surrounding systemic racism and police reform. I feel there are many policy changes that must happen to keep not only my children safe but all our children safe. My husband and I had to sit down and talk to our 16-year-old son about what was the best way for him to handle a traffic stop to save his life. A discussion that no parent should have to have but must have when you have black children in America today. The injustices that black and brown people have faced and are facing by law enforcement all over the county is a conversation being had globally. We need to have that conversation here in our city. We need to address the issues and injustices that our communities of color have been facing in our city and we need to educate our community on the history of systemic racism and what we can do to battle it in our city. 

I am a strong, determined, and compassionate leader who has had a history of not just complaining about issues but stepping up and doing something about it. I have integrity. I am honest, open-minded, transparent and will be there to hear the concerns of everyone in our community and will work with them to find solutions to give our citizens in Antioch a brighter future.