Share First Oakland exists to take direct and positive action in response to the growing problem of food insecurity in Oakland and its surrounding East Bay communities. Working both independently and in cooperation with trusted direct service providers, we put high-quality, nutritious food onto the tables of Oakland’s most vulnerable populations—the homeless, low-income seniors, people in life recovery, at-risk women and children, people suffering from AIDS, and families in severe economic stress.
The structure of Share First Oakland’s activities is streamlined and straightforward. From our founding, we have partnered with Whole Foods Market, Harrison Street, Oakland as our anchor food supplier, with whom we have an exclusive relationship. Share First Oakland is the only organization that receives food and other unsold items from Whole Foods Market, Harrison Street. In turn, Share First Oakland functions as a clearinghouse for Whole Foods Market food donations by vetting, recruiting and partnering with reputable organizations that provide direct service to Oakland’s most vulnerable populations.
Our intent is to expand our activities over the next two years by (a) forming relationships with produce wholesalers, supermarkets, restaurants and the like, when new food suppliers come into being, and (b) developing into public education and advocacy that will move people towards cooperative buying strategies for maximizing food security
- sustainable and affordable ways of feeding themselves such as individual and community gardens
- structural changes that will address the roots of food inequity
Corporate and Contact Information:
Share First Oakland, Incorporated
1724 Filbert Street
Oakland, CA 94607-2824
J. Webb Mealy, Executive Director
(510) 768-7924 desk
(510) 290-0152 cell
Members of the Board of Directors:
J. Webb Mealy
Victor Lee Lewis
Mary Gonzales
Robert Brown
Joseph Liesner
Claudia Morrow
Rev. Lynice Pinkard