VISION Group Celebrates Their One Year Anniversary

By Bonnie Moran

Many, many thanks to the amazing volunteers who have contributed to the VISION (Volunteers in Support of Oakland’s Needs) program over the past year. It’s heart-warming to know that we are still going strong after 12 months of helping our less fortunate neighbors.
A few statistics from our first year:

• We have provided over 11,000 bag lunches.
• The Alameda County Community Food Bank has provided us with 19,144 pounds of fruit,   canned chicken and tuna, juice boxes, various snacks such as energy bars and shelf stable milk.
• More than 45 St. John’s families (and friends) have participated in this program.
• At least 18 of our youth have been very involved.

Generous donations from members of St. John’s have allowed us to purchase bottled water, lunch bags, and other items not available from the Food Bank. Donations from Safeway, Lucky’s and Trader Joe’s help us obtain bottled water.
None of this would be possible without the 45+ families who prepare and deliver the peanut butter/jelly sandwiches and hard boiled eggs that provide the foundation of our lunch bags.
And special thanks to the volunteers who show up at St. John’s every Wednesday and/or Thursday to assemble the donations into healthy meals for delivery to those in need.  These saints also prepare sandwiches and eggs.
In June of 2020, when this operation started, it was impossible to imagine that so many volunteers would step up and so much would be accomplished. Let’s keep going until all Oaklander’s are housed and well-fed and there is no longer a need.

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