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3rd Annual Volunteer Afternoon at the Alameda County Food Bank: Saturday, December 15, 2007 1-4pm
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2nd Annual Volunteer Afternoon at the Alameda County Food Bank: Saturday, December 3, 2005 1-4pm
| From classes of '59 to '05, Smithies turned out |
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Notes:- This year we will meet at their warehouse off Hegenberger Road
- You may want to wear gardening type gloves (this was helpful last year)
- Orientation begins around 1:05, so please be prompt.
- Closed-toed shoes only, ie no sandals or flip-flops.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - Ivy Alliance Community Service Event. Details on the Ivy Alliance page.
The EBSC volunteered at the Alameda Country Community Food Bank on December 4th,
2004
How many Smithies does it take to stack a row of cans? Eight of us met at the Alameda Country
Community Food Bank warehouse on Saturday afternoon, December 4th, to volunteer. We sorted crates of donated canned food into
shopping carts, then stacked the cans on the shelf of the "store" by category, for people from other organizations
to "buy" for family food bag distribution, soup kitchens, etc. A bunch of other people were there from a school and from a
software company... maybe next time the EBSC could cover the whole three-hour shift!
Alameda County Community Food Bank's mission is to eliminate hunger in our community. As the
largest distributor of donated food in Alameda County, they have a large warehouse and have volunteers screen and sort/box
donated food for pick up by our member agencies. There is no direct contact with individuals in need; no cooking or serving.
Please feel free to call Mary Schoen, Volunteer Manager, at 510/834-3663 x308 or mschoen@accfb.org with any other concerns or questions.
Friends and relatives welcome (but must be over 10 years old).
Thank you!
Tea with Women's Initiative for Self-Employment
The EBSC/Womens Initiative for Self Employment tea on Sunday, April 4, 2004, brought warmth and direction to a chilly,
grey afternoon when everyone was catching up with the time-change. The Joyce Gordon Gallery provided an elegant and beautiful
setting for the artistic pastries and teas (with real tea-cups!) catered by two Women's Initiative graduates.
Smith--and one Bryn Mawr--alumnae had a chance to meet other alums and talk with Women's Initiative staff and graduates
before and after the presentation: Karuna Jaggar (Smith '95 and WI staff) talked about her experience working internationally
with women's micro-enterprise and the important role it plays in women's empowerment and described her own dedication to working
in our local community. Women's Initiative Research & Evaluation Manager Marion Daub provided striking statistics about
the effectiveness of the Women's Initiative business-training program, and Asara Tsehai, an articulate graduate of the WI
program several years ago, entertained us with an anecdote about how her son has learned financial literacy through their
discussions at home and has already begun his own entrepreneurial efforts, which indicates the far-reaching effects
of the program. Helen Matthews, Volunteer Coordinator, and Julie Abrams, Executive Director, described numerous and varied
ways in which we can get involved with the organization, and those attending were quite enthused!
One of many ways to fulfill our role as ambassadors of Smith College is to participate and be
seen in our local community. Organizing members are delighted to present this event as a way for Smith to have an active and
growing presence in our community, to show our commitment to the community at large--and especially to pursue our ambitions
and play a role in making that possible for all women.
| Smith alums & WI staff at the Joyce Gordon Gallery |
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2007: We donated a trunkful of cans collected at our potluck in October, and followed up with packing boxes at the Alameda
County Community Food Bank's warehouse in Oakland. Smithies of all ages, plus some partners and children, spent the afternoon
putting together a variety of donated foods into boxes for distribution. The ACCFB delivers food to their community member
organizations who in turn dispense food to residents. During our snack break, Rachel Lee Holstein '94, who works with corporate
development outreach for ACCFB, talked to us about the educational side of their work, which is very impressive, successful,
and inspiring. They have programs from those that help people who qualify for food stamps to get them (especially helping
non-English speaking residents) to efforts in Sacramento to help design programs to help fight poverty in Alameda County and
beyond.
And, of course, they collect food from stores, individuals, and Central Valley farmers who have extra produce! The food bank
needs food all year long, not just in winter -- in fact, during the summer when children are not getting school lunches, there
is significant need for emergency food supplies. As computers help to streamline the food supply chain and reduce packaging
errors (like labels upside down), rejected and extra food sources are slim and the food bank has to buy more food to meet
the needs of their members: community organization serving our county's residents who need food (most often children and the
elderly with fixed incomes).
If you can contribute time, food, or money, the ACCFB will certainly put it to good use in a friendly and efficient manner!
See How to Help.
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Suggested future community service activities:
- Project Open Hand (dates to be set)
- Habitat for Humanity
If you have other ideas or are willing to coordinate an event, email ebsmithclub@yahoo.com!
Directions:- Take 980 to 880 South.
- Take 880 South toward San Jose.
- Take the Hegenberger Rd. Exit (Westbound). (stop sign at the end of the exit ramp)
- At the stop sign, Turn right on Hegenberger Rd.
- Turn right on Edgewater Dr.
- The Food Bank will be on your right at 7900 Edgewater, just past Oakport St.
We did this event last year too!
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The following information will give you some idea of what to expect during our volunteer
shift:
WHERE: The warehouse is located at the West Oakland Army Base, 700 Murmansk Street, Suite
69 (see the map and directions on their web site, http://www.accfb.org/contact_directions.html NOT Mapquest. The warehouse is close to the West Oakland BART station). You will need to stop at the guard shack
upon entering and present ID (you don't need to do this during the weekdays). Please enter the Food Bank building from the
ramp to the left of the building.
WHO: Food Sort volunteers work in groups of 30-40 per shift
screening, boxing, and shelving food donated from supermarkets and through food drives. Volunteers may also be labeling, bagging
or boxing up large bins of loose product donated by manufacturers. Seasoned warehouse volunteers and staff will be floating
around to answer any sorting questions you may have.
WHAT TO WEAR/BRING: Please wear layers of "work" clothes (you will get dirty, and the warehouse
is often chilly) and comfortable, closed-toed shoes, as you will be on your feet for most of the shift; you may also want
to bring work gloves and an apron (we can provide latex gloves and plastic aprons). Do not bring valuables into the warehouse;
there will be no secure place to store them. Beverages and snacks will be supplied throughout the day. Children under 10 years
of age are not allowed in the warehouse for safety reasons.
Thanks to:
The Joyce Gordon Gallery
406 14th Street, Oakland, CA
Sin Pastry Studio
Mythical Teas
Women's Initiative staff
In the last 15 years, Women's Initiative has provided over 10,500 economically disadvantaged women with entrepreneurial
training, technical assistance, and financial services. As a result, Women's Initiative clients create jobs, access the mainstream
economy, and increase their economic self-sufficiency.
We look forward to more opportunities for Seven Sisters alumnae clubs to demonstrate a strong presence in our
communities through education, volunteering, and philanthropy.
Organizing committee: EBSC Jennie Abbott '95
Karuna Jaggar '95, Client Services Coordinator, WI Kathy Orsini '79
Women's Initiative - www.womensinitiative.org Amber Guillory, Development Assistant
Jeannine Esposito, Alameda County Projects Coordinator
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