Habitat for Humanity East Bay

Community Service

Article by Doug Schouette, January 2006

The AmeriCorps members at Habitat for Humanity East Bay (HFHEB) partnered with People’s Grocery in West Oakland to help achieve a common goal of providing all Oakland citizens with the opportunity for quality and healthy lives. Both organizations strive to help low income East Bay residents provide healthy opportunities for their families.

The mission of People’s Grocery is to provide the 25,000 residents of West Oakland, one of the more impoverished areas in the East Bay, with fresh produce to maintain families’ health. West Oakland is currently served by only one grocery store and approximately 25 liquor stores, in addition to the multitude of fast food establishments. By driving a produce truck to multiple stops in West Oakland three times a week, People’s Grocery is providing West Oakland residents with fresh produce grown in their community gardens. It is the eventual goal of People’s Grocery to maintain a storefront in addition to their produce truck. The organization was created by Malaika Edwards, Braham Ahmadi, and Leander Sellers four years ago, and additional information about People’s Grocery can be obtained at www.peoplesgrocery.org or by calling 510-763-0328.

The HFHEB AmeriCorps members built multiple small projects that will better facilitate People’s Grocery to achieve their community goals. They constructed a chicken coop and small retaining walls in their community garden. For their delivery truck, they constructed additional produce boxes to meet their expanding needs.

The community service project provided a nice compliment to the work that the AmeriCorps members do with HFHEB. Founded in 1988, HFHEB has built 100 homes for low and very low income families in Alameda and West Contra Costa counties. Through seven site construction assistants, two homeowners relations coordinators, a volunteer coordinator, and a faith-relations coordinator, the AmeriCorps members are assisting HFHEB in building 27 homes during their year of service spanning three sites, on of which is in West Oakland.