O.B.'s STORY: What O.B. sees every day shows why EOC’s work matters

O.B. doesn’t just work at East Oakland Collective (EOC)—he shows up for people. 
For him, this work has never been “just a job.” It’s rooted in a deep sense of responsibility and connection to the people he serves. Before joining EOC, O.B. was a baker, drawn to the patience, discipline, and care it takes to make food that truly nourishes. He loved the quiet focus of baking—the smell of yeast, the way ingredients slowly come together, the moment when something finally works.
 
That care carried into his life long before he became EOC staff. O.B. was already cooking for unhoused neighbors in North and West Oakland, sharing food and conversation, meeting people where they were.
 
At EOC, O.B. works on the front lines of food insecurity every day. He sees neighbors who may look okay on the surface, but whose realities are far more complex.
 
“You look at people and they might seem okay,” O.B. says. “But when they share their stories, it really wakes you up. It’s way deeper than what you see on the surface.”
 
For O.B., the work is about more than food. It’s about dignity. It’s about being present.
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“There’s a lot of moments where you’re more than just a person giving somebody a bag of groceries,” he explains. “You’re an ear. You’re a support system. You’re a friend.”
 
What keeps him going, even on the hardest days, are the people themselves. 
“The smiles, the energy—you can feel the gratitude with no words spoken,” he says. Seeing neighbors return—and bring others with them—reminds him that trust matters. That how people are treated matters
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What inspires O.B. about East Oakland Collective is the people behind the mission. 
“It’s not just an organization,” he says. “It’s a family. A collection of like-minded individuals who want the same thing.”