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A Gift for an Unsung Hero: PG&E Surprises Longtime Oakland Nonprofit

OAKLAND — When the co-founder of longtime nonprofit Lend A Hand received a request to meet with PG&E representatives, she figured it was to discuss a possible grant.
Dee Johnson was asked to meet in the East Oakland organization’s parking lot, which seemed odd to her. PG&E Vice President Vincent Davis was there, along with Sarah Yoell of Government Relations and Fleet coworkers Marty Parker and Andrew Romero.
Davis met Johnson a few months earlier during Lend A Hand’s annual event where dozens of PG&E coworkers stuffed backpacks with school supplies for children from low-income families. It was then that Dee casually mentioned that her organization badly needed a vehicle for transporting supplies and volunteers.
And then, like one of those TV show reveals, Davis told her the 2016 Ford Explorer parked steps away from her now belonged to the nonprofit.
“Oh my goodness! I can’t believe this!” Johnson said as she fought back tears before hugging Davis.
Johnson later recalled the surprise.
“I was just in shock and so grateful,” she said. “It’s just so meaningful to know that we have the support of a great, generous community partner like PG&E.”
For a nonprofit like Lend A Hand, the SUV is more than just a vehicle. It’s the ability to save money by not having to rent a U-Haul to transport supplies. And every dollar saved is money that can go toward the campaigns that Lend A Hand leads every year. Among them:
- A back-to-school backpack giveaway for Oakland Unified School District students. Since 1999, Lend A Hand has raised money to donate 133,000 backpacks with school supplies.
- A Joy of Giving annual holiday event to help Alameda County families with no means for holiday gifts. Lend A Hand arranges for the public to adopt families and provide toys for children and gift cards for food for their parents. This past year, nearly 300 families received gifts at a Lend a Hand-hosted event that included a holiday meal and a visit from Santa.
PG&E and PG&E coworkers have supported Lend A Hand dating back to 2005, through both charitable contributions and volunteerism.
Davis, who joined coworkers in July to fill backpacks with school supplies for the start of the school year, said the event and the organization’s mission resonated with him. He worked with Michael Glover, PG&E's senior director of Transportation, to make the donation a reality.
“When I met Dee, her commitment and selflessness to the people of Oakland was evident,” Davis said. “She really is an unsung hero. This fleet SUV is just a small token of PG&E’s appreciation for what organizations like Lend a Hand are doing to improve our hometown of Oakland and the lives of its children and families.”
Johnson started Lend A Hand in 1997 with her late god sister, Betty Dimmer Cutrer, as a way to help East Bay children and their families. She has grown the organization, becoming a larger part of her community.
Before Johnson's mother passed away, she told her to keep doing what she’s doing and not to give up. So she does that, despite bouts with lung and breast cancer.
Johnson said she’s appreciative of anything anyone can give to help others in her community — and it doesn’t have to be a car.
Said Johnson, “Even things in your home that you shoved in the corner, like an old blanket, could give someone warmth. That one item could really help someone in a great way.”
Pictured: Dee Johnson with PG&E's Vincent Davis.