Holiday Meal 2019
On behalf of Mia S., Chief of Service and the Holiday Meal committee,
Thank you to our supporters, volunteers, staff members, and guests who made the 2019 winter Holiday Meal a success on Saturday, December 14.
We had around 200 guests this year at the Holiday Meal. We were able to offer soup, homemade salads, delicious turkey or ham, ravioli/orzo salad, fresh veggies, along with homemade potato and pasta dishes. For dessert, there were at least 400 chocolate cookies made along with donated pies, cakes, brownies, and other goodies. There was also plenty of Peet’s Coffee, tea, apple juice, sparkling water and hot chocolate. In the donation area, the BHS Open Closet student club contributed clothing from their inventory. Many community members donated winter gear for giveaways and volunteers made a toiletry kit for each guest. For entertainment, the BHS Orchestra played as guests entered before giving way to Milton & the Innovators performing their Temptations style Motown hits.
All in all, it was a total team effort on the part of everyone in attendance to make this event successful. We surpassed our fundraising goal of $4,000 thanks to generous donors! The 400+ unique volunteers contributed at least 650 service hours to the event during the weekend. All leftover food was delivered to the Harrison House and Dorothy Day House. Thank you to Tom, Sydney, Cameron, Tashi, and Janice who fearlessly led the meal effort in the kitchen. The Alameda County Food Bank will receive a few bins of canned goods, too. Thank you also to a local bread company, the Berkeley Food Network, the Ecology Center, Avalos Farms of the Berkeley Farmer’s Market for donations of bread, herbs/spices, and flavorful ingredients for the meal. Thank you to Tiffani Augusta-Gaines and her mother’s workplace for arranging a huge donation of ravioli. The donated funds also allowed us to partner with Dignity on Wheels mobile laundry and shower services. Once again, we are greatly appreciative for the community support to keep up this event for the past several decades. Thank you!!!!
P.S. For those who contributed a dish, please pick up your containers by winter break from the leadership office.
Thank you to the Berkeley Times for promoting and covering the Holiday Meal. photos by Berkeley Times
We offer deep gratitude for your service to the Berkeley community.
And
in reality there is more that needs to be done to solve or mitigate
issues of housing, employment, and access to quality medical care. Don’t
despair, get involved! Here are a few East Bay organizations that work with
those in need and possible places for you to offer service:
| Organization | Description | Phone | Website |
| Alameda Family Services DreamCatcher Youth Services 2325 Clement Avenue Suite A Alameda, CA 94501 | DreamCatcher Youth Services has been the only safe landing for homeless and disconnected at risk youth in Alameda County who are between the ages of 13-18. | 800.379.1114 | http://www.alamedafs.org/dreamcatcher/ |
| All Souls Episcopal Church | Meals & Rides program | 510.848.1755 | http://www.allsoulsparish.org/ |
| All Souls Episcopal Church 2220 Cedar (@Spruce) Berkeley, CA | Meal Service 510.848.1755 2nd Sunday @ 4:00 pm | 510.848.1755 | http://www.allsoulsparish.org/ |
| Berkeley Food and Housing Project 1901 Fairview Street Berkeley, CA | Berkeley Food & Housing Project works with people who are homeless to move them into affordable permanent housing as quickly as possible – and to help them remain housed. To facilitate this, we provide an extensive range of food, housing, and social support services at 6 sites over 3 counties – Alameda, Solano and Contra Costa. Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri* 3:30–4:45pm *A free spaghetti meal is provided by the Lutheran Church of the Cross on Wednesdays from 4:00–6:00pm. | 510.649.4976 | https://bfhp.org/ |
| BOSS Multi-Agency Service Center 1931 Center Street Berkeley, CA | The mission of BOSS is to help homeless, poor, and disabled people achieve health and self-sufficiency, and to fight against the root causes of poverty and homelessness. | 510.843.3700 | https://self-sufficiency.org/ |
| Dorothy Day House P.O. Box 12701 Berkeley, CA 94712 | P.O. Box 12701 Berkeley, CA 94712 | 925.519.9881 | www.dorothydayhouse.org |
| Dorothy Day House Community Meal 2138 Cedar St Berkeley, CA 94709 | Our community breakfast is provided 6 days a week, year-round, at Christ Church of Berkeley, located at 2138 Cedar Street (at Walnut) in north Berkeley. Anyone in need of a hot breakfast can join us between 7 and 8 am. | 925.519.9881 | www.dorothydayhouse.org |
| First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley 2407 Dana Street Berkeley, CA 94704 | Come be a part of God’s work in the world! Twice a month, the Street Meal serves nutritious hot meals to people in need in the Berkeley community. Volunteers are needed to help in the kitchen and greet the guests; contact Don Louie to sign up (information below). We are especially looking for people who can serve on a regular basis as assistant and lead cooks; to find out more about leading in the kitchen, contact Fran Sheppard at (510) 524-8003 or franshep@juno.com. Dates: 2nd & last Saturday of each month Street Meal Location: Gym (John Knox A), Westminster Hall Time: Volunteer between 2:00 & 7:00 pm: Set-up at 2:00 pm; Kitchen Crew Leads at 2:30 pm; Greeters and Hosts at 2:45 pm; Kitchen Crews at 3:00 pm. Dinner begins at 5:00 pm | 510.848.6242 | https://fpcberkeley.org/street-meal/ |
| Free Clinic Berkeley Address: 2339 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704 | The mission of the Berkeley Free Clinic is to empower individuals and communities by providing accessible, client-centered health services and information. Since the Clinic opened, there has been an ever-present, albeit dynamic, need for its services as social conditions have undergone shifts and changes. | 510.548.2570 Clinic Phone: 800.6CLINIC | berkeleyfreeclinic.org/ |
| Harrison House 711 Harrison St. (at 4th.) Berkeley, CA | You must be referred through the Berkeley Shelter Hotline at (866)-960-2132. Shelter is closed from 9am-5pm every day, open 24 hours for families. There is a separate wing for women and children. | 510.525.4469 | none |
| Night on the Streets Catholic Worker | In addition to weekly meals, NOSCW serves the neediest residents in the East Bay with an overnight storm shelter in winter (at the Dorothy Day House), pantry operation, soup nights, and a variety of other mail, legal, tax, and health services and other outreach that ranges from hospital and prison visits to advocacy for healthcare for the homeless. | N/A | https://sites.google.com/site/berkeleycatholicworker/ |
| Online Homeless Resource webpage | none | http://homelessresource.net/berkeley | |
| St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 2300 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94704 | Hot Meals for the Hungry On the third Saturday of each month, volunteers from St. Mark’s and the wider community cook for 120 guests. The volunteers work in two shifts. From 1:30-4 p.m. volunteers set tables, prepare and cook the meal, and prepare box lunches. From 4:30-6:30 p.m., volunteers serve the meal and clean up. All volunteers are welcome, including one-time or walk-in volunteers. Call (510) 848-5107 for further details or just show up and introduce yourself. | 510.848.5107 | https://stmarksberkeley.org/event/hot-meals-hungry/ |
| United for Health – Suitcase Clinic (18-25 years old) 2300 Bancroft – St. Marks Church | The Suitcase Clinic is a humanitarian student organization and volunteer community offering free health and social services to underserved populations since 1989. Structured around the principles of public health, social welfare, community activism and empathy, the Suitcase Clinic currently operates three weekly multi-service drop-in centers in the city Berkeley: the General Clinic, the Women’s Clinic and the Youth Clinic. | 510.643.6786 | http://www.suitcaseclinic.org/partners/united_for_health-2/ |
| Women’s Daytime Drop In Center 2218 Acton Street Berkeley, CA | The Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center offers free services to any homeless woman and her children. Mon – Fri 8 am – 4 pm | 510.548.6933 | womensdropin.org |
| WOMXN’s Clinic Address: 2236 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 | This past summer, the Womxn’s Clinic relocated to LIFE Adventist Church. All womxn and children are welcome to receive our services, which include medical and professional services, nailpainting, childcare, and more. | 510.269.7242 510.423.3659 | https://www.suitcaseclinic.org/womxn-s-clinic?p=5948 |
| Youth Emergency Assistance and Housing (YEAH!) 1744 University Avenue Lutheran Church of the Cross | Our mission is to support young adults (18-24) in Berkeley who are currently homeless. We provide basic necessities, offer case management and counseling, linkages to education, employment and housing, and opportunities for meaningful community involvement. Monday-Sunday 8 pm – 8 am. Hot meals, Showers, Pets Allowed | 510.704.9867 | yeah-berkeley.org/ |
| Youth/ LGBTQ+ Clinic 2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704 | The Y/LGBTQ+ Clinic strives to provide culturally appropriate and accessible services to homeless and street-identified youth, which simultaneously increases their opportunities for positive social and physical well-being. The clinic space is open to those in their teens and twenties and is LGBTQ+ friendly. | 510.423.3303 | https://www.suitcaseclinic.org/youth-lgbtq-clinic |