Oakland Catholic Worker is a faith-based organization located in East Oakland where community members, many of whom are immigrants, can find community, sanctuary, and resources.
On Thursday mornings, Oakland Catholic Worker hosts a food distribution, where community members pick up fresh produce, staples, and proteins provided by ACCFB.
“The food here is very fresh. Without it, people would go hungry and suffer more,” says Miguel Godi, a volunteer at weekly distributions. “Many of the people here are immigrants—I think there must be like five or six languages spoken in the line.”
Miguel Godi (left) unpacks boxes of lettuce with fellow volunteers.
Felix Segura, who lives just two blocks from the distribution, is a retired laborer who volunteers weekly and has recruited countless friends and family members to join him. He says “It makes me happy to be able to help.” After each distribution, Felix also takes a box of food home, using it to make dishes including tamales, birria, and pozole.
Oakland Catholic Worker was founded in 1986 in response to thousands of people fleeing wars in Central America. Today, the organization continues its mission of ensuring that immigrants can access food, housing, and services with dignity and in community. “Here we are about kindness, solidarity, and justice. People really need this help, especially now with all of the attacks on immigrants,” said Bob Lassalle Klein, a volunteer and one of the organization’s founders.
Learn more at OaklandCatholicWorker.org
