Volunteers needed to Get Groceries to Seniors in Need

The Mercy Brown Bag Program distributes groceries to low income seniors throughout Alameda County. Right now the program is looking for volunteers for its Oakland sites, as well as at sites throughout the county, and someone to travel with the programs mobile grocery market.

Mercy Brown Bag program was started 35 years ago by the seniors who live at Mercy Retirement and Care Center. The residents saw that their neighbors were in need of food, so they approached local businesses to donate groceries. The seniors also traveled to the central valley to glean produce from the fields.

Today Mercy Brown Bag Program gets most of its groceries from The Alameda County Community Food Bank, but it is still powered by energetic senior volunteers. About 500 mostly senior volunteers help to get the groceries to about 5000 senior recipients. Volunteers sort food, bag groceries, manage computerized check in, and pick up food for the neighbors, friends and families.

At each distribution recipients can receive fresh fruits and vegetables; healthy grains such as whole wheat pasta, rice or oatmeal; lean proteins such as fish, chicken, beans or tofu; and shelf stable products.

The Mercy Brown Bag Program is currently looking for volunteers at its distributions on the first and third Friday mornings of the month in the Fruitvale district of Oakland.

Needed: Kind and patient people to help with line management. If you speak mandarin, cantonese, and/or spanish it is a help, but not necessary.

Needed: An early riser who would like to help set up for the distribution. This would involve arranging groceries to be bagged, putting out benches for recipients to sit on, and putting out traffic cones. It is helpful if you can lift at least 20 pounds.

Needed: Volunteers to help on an assembly line that makes 300 bags of groceries in a morning.

Needed: Someone who is moderately comfortable with computers, and comfortable communicating across languages, even if it through smiling and miming.

Needed: A strong, sure footed volunteer to help in our mobile grocery truck which with the push of a button goes from a truck to market. You should be able to lift at least 35 pounds.

If you are interested in volunteering with Mercy Brown Bag, but are not available on Fridays, or Oakland is a bit far contact the program. Mercy Brown Bag Program has many other volunteer opportunities available throughout the work week. While most of the volunteers are senior people of all ages are welcome.

If interested call 510-534-8547 or email nstlawrence@eldercarealliance.org