Concord nonprofit serves daily meals, provides hope for unhoused persons at city parks

By Carlos E. Castañeda

Two women have been working to build a life-changing community of support in two Concord parks for some 2,000 unhoused people in Contra Costa County.

Their nonprofit serves meals and provides basic life necessities in a park setting where people living on the streets can feel welcome.

“We just want people to come here, have a safe meal, feel seen,” said Kelly McKinley.

McKinley’s program found its roots in 2022 when she helped give away excess fruit from a school that would otherwise have gone to waste.

“So, I came up with ten-dollar meals,” McKinley said. “So, I’d feed 10 to 12 people with $10.”

She spread the word over social media, and before she knew it, she and volunteer Andie Altman started a nonprofit to serve the unhoused.

They call it Grass Roots Outreach Warriors, or GROW Concord.

“We thought what we were doing was helping people grow and evolve,” Altman said. “And the community was growing and evolving because of what we were doing.”

GROW Concord has served more than 32,000 free meals since it started. That’s 300 free hot meals, six days a week – three nights at Baldwin Park and three nights at Cowell Park. The nonprofit relies on private donations, along with volunteers from churches, businesses and schools.

On a recent cold, windy day, volunteers offered nutritious homemade soup, salad and sandwiches. They also gave away donated clothing, basic supplies, and pet food. The nonprofit also provides access to weekly showers and laundry and connects people to resources, such as steps toward sober living.

Stacy Lestrange came to the dinners two years ago, feeling alone. GROW Concord became her family, and a launching pad for change.

“I was that person back then, homeless,” Lestrange said. “So it makes me feel good helping out.”

Today, Lestrange has a job, a roof over her head, two years’ sobriety, and a new purpose as a volunteer.

“Where I used to live underneath the bridge in Solano [County], we go up there and feed the people now,” Lestrange said.

She credits McKinley, Altman, and their volunteer team for giving her hope.

“They’re good people. They have big hearts,” Lestrange said.

McKinley and Altman marvel at the stories of people they’ve helped reunite with their families. People who are off the streets and living clean and sober lives. They’ve learned their small acts of kindness can spark big changes.

“It was to create a community of people that didn’t have a community,” Altman said.

McKinley added, “It kept going, and it ended up being a community labor of love.”