Seniors Helping Seniors.

"Seniors helping seniors" is at the heart of Mercy Brown Bag Program, supported by Elder Care Alliance’s Mercy Retirement & Care Center. For almost 40 years, our volunteers have lovingly filled and distributed bags of fresh produce, healthy grains, canned goods, lean proteins and more.

We sort, pack and distribute groceries to 66 sites throughout Alameda County.

Food insecurity is an alarming trend in the region, where half of all seniors are unable to make ends meet. High rents in the county—coupled with low incomes and poor health or disabilities—cause seniors to skip meals or choose between food and their lifesaving medications.

“I’ve never had to get free food before, but I need Brown Bag to live. I have no money to buy food.” ­– Clifford

Last year, Mercy Brown Bag Program distributed 138,000 grocery bags stuffed with more than 2.25 million pounds of food to more than 8,000 hungry seniors. Our team of over 500 senior volunteers donated more than 21,000 hours of their time to help sort, pack and distribute groceries, with each bag containing about 20 pounds of food.

While getting food to seniors in need is our primary goal, we are also compelled to promote change in legislative policy to benefit low-income residents. Join us here!