Alameda, CA — October 10, 2026 — Mercy Brown Bag Program is pleased to welcome Kim Olson as its new Executive Director this October, succeeding longtime Executive Director Janice Roberts, who is retiring after more than four years of dedicated service to the Mercy Brown Bag Program. Olson joins an organization with more than four decades of impact and a powerful legacy of seniors helping seniors. Founded in 1982 by residents of Mercy Retirement and Care Center, the Mercy Brown Bag Program has grown from a grassroots effort into one of the Bay Area’s most impactful senior nutrition programs, serving approximately 11,000 older adults through 82 distribution sites across Alameda County. Last year alone, the program distributed more than 134,000 grocery bags and 2.4 million pounds of nutritious food, supported by more than 600 volunteers who contributed over 21,000 hours of service. As an affiliate of Elder Care Alliance, proudly supported by Transforming Age, Mercy Brown Bag continues to advance a mission rooted in dignity, community, and healthy aging.
A respected nonprofit leader, advocate, and coalition-builder, Olson brings extensive experience in food security, public policy, fundraising, volunteer engagement, and community impact. She joins Mercy Brown Bag after serving as Director of Advocacy for SOS Meals on Wheels in the East Bay, where she elevated the needs of homebound older adults and strengthened partnerships with local, state, and federal leaders. Previously, in leadership roles with Oregon Food Bank, she helped build a government relations program and mobilize more than $55 million in funding to advance hunger relief and food justice throughout the region.
“Food security is about far more than putting groceries on the table. For our older neighbors, it is about prioritizing nutrition designed specifically for healthy aging, made accessible in a way that honors their dignity and independence.” said Kim Olson. “Mercy Brown Bag has built an extraordinary legacy of neighbors helping neighbors and seniors helping seniors. I am honored to join an organization that has become such a trusted resource for older adults across the East Bay, and I look forward to working alongside our volunteers, staff, partners, and supporters to build on that impact and reach even more older adults in need.”
“Kim Olson brings the ideal combination of mission-driven leadership, advocacy expertise, fundraising success, and deep passion for addressing food 
insecurity,” said Adriene Iverson, Senior Vice President, One Customer. “Mercy Brown Bag has transformed the lives of thousands of older adults through the dedication of volunteers and community partners. Kim understands both the immediate needs facing seniors today and the broader systems that influence their wellbeing. Her leadership will help strengthen and expand the program’s impact for years to come.”
Roberts’ 4+ years of dedicated service helped guide and strengthen Mercy Brown Bag’s support for older adults throughout Alameda County. Building on that foundation, Olson will lead the program forward in its mission to ensure older adults have access to nutritious food, meaningful social connection, and the support they need to age with dignity and independence.
About the Mercy Brown Bag Program
The Mercy Brown Bag Program, an affiliate of Elder Care Alliance proudly supported by Transforming Age, was founded in 1982 by residents of Mercy Retirement and Care Center to address food insecurity among older adults. Today, the program serves approximately 11,000 seniors through 82 distribution sites across Alameda County, distributing more than 134,000 grocery bags and 2.4 million pounds of food each year. The program’s work is made possible through the dedication of more than 600 volunteers who contribute over 21,000 hours of service annually, embodying the program’s founding spirit of seniors helping seniors.
