In 1970, Alfredo Madrigal was drafted to the U.S. Army to serve in the Vietnam War. He didn’t speak English. He’d just moved here from Mexico 18 months before.
Now as a volunteer for Oakland Catholic Worker, one of our distribution sites, Alfredo says he’s happy to help his community every week.
“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “It helps me connect with the public and alleviate symptoms of PTSD that I still deal with.”
For the past eight years, Alfredo has spent his Thursdays distributing food to the Oakland community. He’s gotten to know many of the clients and looks forward to seeing their smiling faces after picking up groceries.
“I think as veterans, because of what we went through, we have more compassion,” he said.
In 1972, Alfredo returned to the United States after serving two years in the Vietnam War.
Veterans Day is a time to honor all of our vets for their service to our country. We’re so thankful for Alfredo’s service and his continued passion for helping our community.
