Mercy Retirement and Care Center

Every day in the Bay Area, thousands of seniors struggle to survive in desperate poverty. Most live alone. The skyrocketing cost of food and shelter means they often must choose between buying groceries or paying the rent. In 1982, residents at the Mercy Retirement & Care Center saw seniors in their neighborhood going hungry and launched the Brown Bag Program to distribute bags of groceries to hungry seniors in Oakland, CA. Today, 500+ senior volunteers make sure other seniors can remain self-sufficient and independent in their own homes. Along with nutritious food, the Mercy Brown Bag Program provides a place for seniors to contribute to their community, stay physically active and socialize. Our motto is "seniors helping seniors".