Bill Joyce, Author at Oakland Voices

Barbara Zavala – The Personification of Giving Back

October 28, 2015 Bill Joyce

The morning wash flapped in the breeze in the backyard of the Oakland Catholic Worker (OCW), near the corner of International Blvd and 50th, on a recent Tuesday morning. Upstairs, a young mother — a

Laurel Cyclery – More than a Bike Shop

October 20, 2015 Bill Joyce

At any other bike shop, the word ‘hubs’ refers to internal or fixed gear hubs and often, the messy job of repacking them with tiny ball bearings. The two bike mechanics, certified wheel builder and

Out on the streets with Street Level

September 29, 2015 Bill Joyce

Don Francisco, a Street Level outreach worker who delivers breakfast to day laborers, is a little worried. Forty containers aren’t sufficient for the number of workers that he will see in the next couple of

Street Level – a safety net of the safety net

September 21, 2015 Bill Joyce

Health clinic volunteer Hermalinda Aguiar leaned forward and said, “We have a saying: ‘Panza llena, corazón contento; Full belly, a happy heart.’” In a phrase, the recent San Francisco State alumna captures the mission of

8:30 a.m. at 35th and MacArthur

September 8, 2015 Bill Joyce

The first thing that catches my eye is the middle-aged blind guy with his cane across the street. He and a man roughly the same age stand at the corner in front of Taco

A Stroll through the Laurel, or is it the Upper Dimond?

August 25, 2015 Bill Joyce

I’ve always referred to my neighborhood as the Laurel district, but was surprised when a friend who has lived a block away for 30 years referred to it as the “Upper Dimond.” This is a

A Ride on a Cable Car

August 10, 2015 Bill Joyce

I occasionally glance over at the photo of my sister Peg which sits on the window sill near the kitchen sink. It’s an unframed snapshot that at times slides cock-eyed into a slit in the