OUR PROGRAMS

Food as Medicine

A volunteer stands behind a bag filled with groceries including eggs, juice, vegetables, and fruit. The bag is labeled “Mercy Brown Bag Program.”.

The United States is facing a nutritional crisis.

Food is a critical component of ongoing health, particularly for seniors. Nutritious, fresh food can stave off or control life threatening diseases including cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

Mercy Brown Bag provides Alameda County seniors in need of food with two grocery bags a month full of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, dairy, and shelf-stable goods. Every grocery bag we distribute meets USDA good food guidelines and is both fresh and nutritious.

We Know Good Health Comes From Diets Filled with Fresh Fruits and Vegetables.

In the last three years, we have increased our percentage of fresh fruits and veggies from 47% of every grocery bag we distribute to 57%! We also spend a large portion of our budget on fresh protein, ensuring that every bag contains almost 20% protein, a necessary macronutrient that helps seniors to retain muscle strength. Only 6.5% of our bags are canned goods, traditionally distributed by pantries.