West Oakland keeps fighting for cleaner air (Toxic Tour 1 update)
Article by CB Smith-Dahl.
Last updated at Tue, 4 Oct at 7:28am.

Two years after Newsdesk.org first examined high levels of air pollution in West Oakland, progress towards helping this community breathe easier is moving slowly. Thorny projects, including cleanups at the port and a local Superfund site, are hard to keep moving.

Read the whole story...

volunteering at the Eat Real Festival 2011 (Community Voices)
Blog entry by Gene Anderson.
Last updated at Tue, 27 Sep at 10:42am.


This past weekend was the Eat Real Festival in Jack London Square. It featured food and drink from Bay Area producers, music, crafts, and a variety of food-related demonstrations, from cheese making to backyard chickens. With food trucks and vendors from all over the Bay Area, there was a lot to choose from.

I got a different look at things this year, as I volunteered to help with setup and beverage service.

Read the whole story...

Creek to Bay Day in Oakland, CA (Community Voices)
Blog entry by Gene Anderson.
Last updated at Wed, 21 Sep at 9:12am.

Saturday was the 16th annual Oakland Creek to Bay Day to cleanup waterways and shoreline in Oakland. It was part of the International Coastal Cleanup effort around the world.

Read the whole story...

Fake quake for real disaster preparedness in Oakland this weekend
Article by Amy Gahran.
Last updated at Tue, 26 Apr at 9:09am.

It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.

On April 30, Oakland emergency response agencies, community groups and volunteers will be simulating the aftermath of a major earthquake. It's the sixth annual citywide emergency response functional exercise - and it's a crucial tool for making sure local responders, systems and equipment are ready to spring into action to help people in need.

Read the whole story...

Surprise donation helps local homeless shelter continue its work
Article by Niema Jordan.
Last updated at Sat, 23 Apr at 2:12am.

When Gertude “Trude” Bloomingfield Campe moved to San Francisco in 1955, one day leaving an estate worth close to $400,000 may not have been in her initial thoughts.

Read the whole story...

NEEDED: Volunteers for People's Grocery Feb 27 Event
Blog entry by Jonathan Darr, Pe....
Last updated at Wed, 23 Feb at 7:51am.

People's Grocery has 400 people joining us for our Harvesting Justice fundraising brunch at UC Berkeley on Sunday 2/27.  We've had an incredible response!  To manage an event of this size, we're hoping to enlist new and returning volunteers to help us.  If you are interested, please contact jonathan@peoplesgrocery.org. 

We are looking for:

Read the whole story...

Mayor Quan, city staff and community members join to clean up East Oakland
Article by Jennifer Inez Ward.
Last updated at Wed, 19 Jan at 11:15pm.

On a warm Saturday morning, about 100 volunteers joined Oakland Mayor Jean Quan in East Oakland to undertake a block by block clean up of the neighborhoods around 85th and 98th Avenue.

Read the whole story...

Adams Point Day of Service for MLK involves picking up trash
Blog entry by Susan Mernit.
Last updated at Wed, 19 Jan at 7:20am.

In honor of Martin Luther King,Jr. some residents of the Adam's Point neighborhood did a trash pickup at Lakeview School and around their streets and along Lake Merritt.

Read the whole story...