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January 2, 2026

Meet Ucal

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Two years ago, he couldn’t afford rent. Now he has a master’s, thanks to the Season of Sharing Fund

It wasn’t long ago that Ucal Kenard felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him.

A single father of a then-5-year-old, Kenard got laid off from his job working at an insurance company in 2022. The Oakland native applied for unemployment and other government benefits to get through — but it wasn’t long before the temporary funding ran out and the bills started piling up.

“I really didn’t have really anybody else to reach out to, and it was difficult,” he said. “My back was up against a wall.”

That’s when a social worker pointed Kenard to the Season of Sharing Fund, which works year-round to prevent homelessness and hunger in the nine-county Bay Area, often providing recipients with housing assistance. All donations go directly to help people in need.

Kenard requested funding to cover just one month’s rent — support that was critical in helping him get back on his feet, he said. “It was tremendously helpful.”

“My back was up against a wall.”

The funding came at a tumultuous time for Kenard. In addition to getting laid off, he was spending a lot of time in court working out the custody agreement for his daughter, Genevieve, who now spends the majority of her time with him.

But he wasn’t one to let up in the face of adversity. During that time, he heard about a barber school opening up in town. Kenard said he had cut hair already for a few years, so he decided to enroll to officially become a barber — and the school happened to be just a few blocks from his home.

The owner of the school, Kenard said, was “angelic,” allowing him to continue helping out there and cutting hair as needed, a move that helped Kenard make enough money to keep himself and his daughter afloat.

“I was in a difficult situation, and I was really trying to figure it out,” he said. “He did what he could to help me out, and he still does.”

With the rent assistance and the barbershop job, Kenard decided to use his time without a full-time job to return to his studies. Since he received the Season of Sharing funds in 2023, Kenard has earned a master’s degree in public administration through Cal State East Bay. He graduated in the spring and hopes to use the degree to get a job working in government.

“It’s something I always wanted to do, so it was an absolutely phenomenal experience to be there,” he said of the program, particularly as the first in his family not only to graduate from college, but to get a graduate degree.

Going back to school brought its own challenges — in addition to the late nights of studying after his daughter went to bed, he also had his car broken into and his phone stolen, which set him back in his class work. But, as ever, Kenard refused to let that stop him.

While Kenard hopes the graduate degree will help propel his career forward, he already sees its value in how it’s inspiring his daughter.

“Just look at your circumstances as a passing cloud.”

“By her seeing this graduate degree, it’s not the ceiling, it’s the floor of what she can achieve,” he said. “It lets her know what it takes to make a better life for yourself and to make it to the next level.”

While he’s still not exactly where he wants to be, Kenard is relentlessly working toward a better future. So how does he keep that optimism amid the hardships?

“Just look at your circumstances as a passing cloud,” he said. “Eventually it will pass. You are the constant, regardless of the weather, so keep yourself grounded.”

Reach Danielle Echeverria: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com

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At Season of Sharing Fund, we believe that an unexpected financial crisis should never mean losing your home. Preventing homelessness isn’t just kind—it’s also the most effective way to keep our communities thriving. 100% of your donation keeps Bay Area residents housed, cared for and nourished.

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