Oakland woman distributes meals to the homeless every week, alongside volunteers

Every Wednesday night, an Oakland woman makes sure that hundreds of people don't go hungry while living on the streets of her city.

Bopha Ul and her volunteers pack a lot of love into grocery bags that they load up for special deliveries.

"I always say I don't have much, but I have some, and I want to share my some with people who don't have anything," Ul said.

The Oakland woman started cooking for the unsheltered in 2018.

"And then one day, it was really cold, and I said, 'I'm going to make soup for the people who live near my house in West Oakland,' when I lived down there. And it just became this thing where I did it several weeks, and people loved it," she explained.

And soon, recipients grew from a couple of dozen to a couple of hundred. So now, she packs and distributes sandwiches to the unhoused in Oakland. Ul takes a half day off from her job as a law firm file clerk every Wednesday to serve others. When she started, she was intentional about selecting Wednesday for her program.

"People were not getting food in the middle of the week, so that's why I picked it," she said.

Volunteers give away meals donated by a local bakery, Love Bite Bakers, plus blankets, hand warmers, hygiene kits and provisions for pets. Her team goes to encampments in a dozen different locations.

Most recipients want to remain anonymous, like Stephanie, who says she's grateful for more than the meals.

"The emotional support and strength that these people have provided to myself and others has been phenomenal," Stephanie told volunteers.

"We see people, we find people, we've seen people with newborn babies, and we've brought them diapers," Ul added.

Fiscally sponsored by the nonprofit, Safer DIY Spaces, Ul named her meal program, Rogers and Rosewater, after two people. Rogers comes from TV's Mr. Rogers, who showed kindness. And Rosewater, Ul said, is from Kurt Vonnegut's Book, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, about an imperfect creature who uses kindness as a tool for healing.

Her own desire to give back finds roots in her childhood.

"I grew up poor, so maybe that's why. We also had weeks and weeks of pancakes, so I understand what it means to be hungry. I've never been unhoused," she said.

Even as an adult, she knows life can be tough.

"I was working low-wage jobs, and there are times where I had to choose between taking the bus and buying a meal," Ul said.

And twice a year, Rogers and Rosewater partner with West Oakland Punks with Lunch and other groups to offer "care villages" for the unhoused, free services all in one place, from food and toys to legal aid and medical equipment.

Volunteer Moss Luster said Ul inspires people to want to serve with her.

"It's just the deep, genuine part of her as a person. She cares about her fellow people and doesn't want to see people fall through the cracks or get left behind," Luster said.

So, for serving meals to the unhoused in Oakland through Rogers and Rosewater, this week's CBS News Bay Area ICON Award goes to Bopha Ul.