Welcome To MacArthur Metro

The Reverend Robert ”Bob” Allen. Photo by Brian Castaneda. Click to enlarge.

It's a bright, warm morning, the second Wednesday of the month, outside Shiloh Mercy Ministries. It's 8 a.m., and a single woman is patiently seated by a bench near the entrance, the earliest bird to arrive before the 10 o'clock opening. Soon after, the line is also composed of Chinese, Hispanics, Caucasian, and African-Americans—the city of Oakland in micro. Thanks to two Chinese and Spanish volunteer translators, Shiloh Mercy Ministries doesn't have to worry about turning anyone away.'

Inside the gymnasium of the Shiloh Bible College, volunteers are already arriving. Over the next few hours, they will bag, sort, and distribute free food to between two- to six hundred people. The Shiloh Mercy Ministries food bank has served Oakland in this way for 28 years. "I love the work over there. I really do" says Judy Moore, director of Shiloh Mercy Ministries.

Meanwhile, Rev. Robert Allen, Vice President and member of the Board of Directors for Shiloh Christian Fellowship and the Alameda County Community Food Bank, is also on hand. A WWII vet in his 80s, he speaks with volunteers, all of whom affectionately refer to him as Bob. "It would be a terrible job if they didn't love what they are doing," he says of the hard work. "But they do, because what they are doing is serving the community."

The volunteers and the organization's directors push to avoid long lines which may discourage those who come to them. "We hate lines," Bob smiles. Several of the volunteers bag items in rapid succession, placing between six and eight items per bag and setting them aside. Prepared bags are then divided by more volunteers. Many will be distributed to the line outside the gym, but others are being set into groups to be sent out to senior centers all across the city.'

Over the years, the organization's influence has spread outward from Oakland to all of Alameda county. Today, it distributes an average of of 6,000 bags of food in a month to individuals and families who arrive at its location, sends food to various senior apartment centers, and provides food for other organizations to distribute.

Three programs are available for those who wish to use Mercy Ministries services. The "Value Pack" may be picked up hassle-free. For a suggested thirty dollar donation, the recipient receives over a hundred dollars worth of food. The second and third programs are the "Emergency Food Box" provided by the Alameda County Food Bank, and food distributed by the USDA. Both are free, but require that individuals bring I.D.'

Donations of food, including garden produce, may be brought to Shiloh Mercy Ministries, located at 3300 School St., during open hours between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Mercy Ministries may be contracted by phone at 436-0390. Food is distributed across the street, at the Shiloh Bible College gymnasium entrance at 3295 School St.