CRECE
Is a program for Central American Refugees in the East Bay. Tulio Serrano, our beloved church custodian, is the Founder and President. A distribution of food to people in need occurs every other Friday in our parking lot. About 90 to 100 families from Oakland and Alameda receive food. CRECE uses Room 208 as office space to continue the work of helping Central American refugees in the East Bay. CRECE is working on expanding services in the following ways:
• A soccer program for 5-12 year old youth. We are presently searching for a new soccer field site to use for practice and games.
• Development of a Father’s Group to educate about parenting, nutrition, financial literacy, and help finding resources for work and other needs. We need volunteers to teach about such subjects.
• Increase food distribution to over 400 families at the Oakland and Alameda sites on alternating weeks.
• Partner with Safe Passages on work with families and education.
• Financing the Founder delivery trip, during which Tulio brings supplies and education to villages in El Salvador. We hope to send a delegation with him this year as we did pre-Covid to help.
• Provide toys and other gifts to over 600 children at our annual Christmas event.
Ladies Aid
A group that supports the mission of Immanuel through fundraising, specials events, and fellowship together. The current president is Linda Ganfield. All are welcome to join!
Dine & Connect
A weekly free meal program provided to the non-sheltered and those with food scarcity in Alameda, which Immanuel hosts on the last Monday of every month. This is an interfaith and nonprofit partnership event in conjunction with the Dine & Connect Work Group, which consists of organizations coordinated by the Alameda Faith Coalition, Alameda Food Bank, Building Futures, Operation Dignity, and the City of Alameda. See below for the latest schedule and locations. Volunteers are always needed and welcomed in all areas from food prep, hospitality, recycling and cleanup. Contact Terry O’Connor through the church office to learn more and get involved (510-523-0659.) There is a wonderful article about Dine and Connect in a past Sierra Pacific Synod Newsletter under Church Together found HERE.
Schedule:
Take out meals on Mondays, 4pm to 5pm at the following locations on the day indicated-
1st Monday: of the month: Twin Towers United Methodist Church, 2259 Central Ave. (cross street Oak St).
2nd Monday: Trinity Lutheran Church, 1323 Central Ave (at Morton Ave).
3rd Monday: First Congregational Church, 1912 Central Ave (at Chestnut St).
Last Monday of the month: Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1910 Santa Clara Ave.
4th Monday (In a month with 5 Mondays:) First Presbyterian Church, 2001 Santa Clara Ave. (at the corner of Chestnut St.)
The AC Mobile Health Van is available here 3pm to 6pm