Bay Area Community Services (BACS)

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“We are going to end homelessness in Oakland”

BACS is partnering with Kaiser Permanente to house 515 homeless seniors in Oakland. This is a transformative change to how someone goes from homelessness to housing in the Bay Area.

“This partnership with Kaiser is a game-changer. So far, we have more than 250 seniors out of encampments, off the streets, and into permanent housing. With more programs like this, we are going to end homelessness in Oakland.” – Jamie Almanza

Thanks to Kaiser, BACS helped Victor N. end his homelessness. Victor, pictured here, receives his keys to his new home in Oakland. Victor is a veteran, and became homeless in January. He lived in his car, which made his health problems worse. After being hospitalized, he came to BACS and we were able to get him into housing. 

[Read more…]

BACS Connections May 2019

Governor Newsom Visits BACS

(Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)

On May 21, BACS was thrilled to host Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Libby Schaaf, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Supervisor Keith Carson, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and others to announce a new taskforce & $1 billion investment to address homelessness in California. Governor Newsom toured BACS’ Housing Fast Support Network, which moves people directly from encampments to BACS sites and sees 88% of participants find permanent housing after just 4-6 months. Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of local solutions, saying ““homelessness is a matter of statewide concern, but solutions will come from the local level.”

Community Supports Women at BACS

Kaiser VIP Yvette Radford connected her local Women’s Group to LINK them with homeless women at the Holland Housing Fast Program. The group came Sunday, April 14th and dropped off beautiful backpacks with a plethora of high end hygiene products. Clients received the gifts and told their story and thanked everyone for their support. Just another way the community is helping put an end to homelessness in Oakland. Thank you!

Supported Independent Living sites celebrate 46 years!

BACS is buying ‘a house a year’ to end homelessness – and we have been building this program for decades.

BACS opened our first Supported Independent Living (SIL) site in 1973 to help individuals who have mental health and other health-related issues such as homelessness and want to pursue sustainable housing in a safe environment.

Our SIL sites have made a difference for thousands of people over the last 46 years. Help us keep them open!

10×10 Wellness Event

BACS employees never cease to amaze! The 10×10 We Move for Health event in early May was extra special this year, thanks to the massive turnout of BACS participants and volunteers to enjoy the day in the sun. Our table made affirmation cards and connected with community members. Many thanks to all of the BACS programs that came to volunteer and participate, to bring their range of language abilities to reach more community members, and for helping our participants enjoy the event!

Older Americans Month

May is Older Americans Month, and BACS is honored to recognize older Americans who have contributed and made such a difference in our community. BACS knows that community activities help to enrich the physical, mental and emotional well-being of the population.  Older Adults offer a great deal of wisdom and experience to other generations. Let us all take some time this month to honor an older American and continue to promote healthy aging. Older Adult FSP info!

Job & Resource Fair

The May 2nd Job & Resource Fair at the Eden Area AJCC was a huge success!  The event was co-hosted by Rubicon Programs and Department of Rehabilitation.  A special thank you for the Hedco Staff – Linda Nguyen, Virgil Bagaoisan and Astrid Scott for helping at the event.  There were a total of 24 vendors who participated and approximately 80 job seekers.  The next BACS Job Fair is bring planned for mid-August at Hedco Wellness Center.

Governor Newsom Visits BACS

On May 21, Jamie Almanza and the rest of the BACS team were thrilled to host Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Libby Schaaf, Mayor Bill Steinberg, Supervisor Keith Carson, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and others to announce a new taskforce & $1 billion investment to address homelessness in California.

Governor Newsom toured BACS’ Housing Fast Support Network, which moves people directly from encampments to BACS sites and sees 88% of participants find permanent housing after just 4-6 months.

[Read more…]

Nobody Wants to be Homeless – So We’re Buying a House a Year to End Homelessness

BACS is stepping up to the plate to end homelessness. Some affordable housing projects are taking up to 10 years before move in, & can cost up to $600k per studio apartment built. We cannot afford to wait 10 years.

BACS committed to buying ‘a house a year’ to end homelessness. We buy homes where the entirety of a six-bedroom house costs less than a newly built affordable housing studio, and are ready to move people in within 30 days – not 10 years.

We are opening up opportunities for a sponsor to name the house and leave a lasting legacy. Individuals, families, corporations, and foundations are invited to donate $100,000 or more to have a house named in their honor – and permanently end homelessness for 6 or more people. Contact us to learn more.

In the last 6 months, BACS bought two houses – permanently ending homelessness for 14 people, who are all living with complex mental health issues. Every year, BACS’ houses keep over 100 people off the streets, with ongoing mental health services included. Our housing is embedded in the community, and allows clients to share in cooking & other house activities while still having their own bedroom, preventing isolation.

[Read more…]

BACS Connections April 2019

We’re Buying a House a Year to End Homelessness

BACS is stepping up to the plate to end homelessness. Some affordable housing projects are taking up to 10 years before move in, & can cost up to $600k per studio apartment built. While affordable housing developments are a major solution to ending homelessness for the most vulnerable, we cannot afford to wait 10 years.

BACS committed to buying ‘a house a year’ to end homelessness. We buy homes where the entirety of a six-bedroom house costs less than a newly built affordable housing studio, and are ready to move people in within 30 days – not 10 years.

We are opening up opportunities for a sponsor to name the house and leave a lasting legacy. Individuals, families, corporations, and foundations are invited to donate $100,000 or more to have a house named in their honor – and permanently end homelessness for 6 or more people. Contact us to learn more.

Major Donation from Salesforce

BACS is thrilled to share that Salesforce has made a major technology donation! Salesforce donated 50 Dell laptops to BACS. Thanks to Salesforce, our team is better equipped, and overhead that would have been allocated to technology can instead go directly into our housing & homelessness services, mental health services, and more. Quinn Lung, BACS Board Vice Chair, connected Salesforce with BACS.

This donation improves BACS’ ability to keep our staff with modern technology, while improving the ability of participants using our sites to connect online! Economic and housing opportunities are easier to access online, and technology improves access to healthcare, mental health care, and more. Thank you Salesforce!

Trans/Gender Inclusion at BACS

This month, BACS hosted a Transgender/Gender Responsiveness Training for our whole team! Kelsey Pacha hosted two days of training for BACS’ team to deepen our understanding of gender, with an emphasis on creating affirming social service, health, and employment systems as well as identifying barriers to accessing services for trans and gender expansive clients.

BACS deeply values integrity, accountability, community, and diversity – and being an agency that welcomes and uplifts all members of our community. Thank you to the Cultural Responsiveness Committee for their leadership in setting up this training.

Everyone, no matter your gender identification or orientation, is welcomed and celebrated at BACS.

Simply the Basics Changes Lives

Did you know that 67% of homeless community members have a preventable health condition? Without the resources that many people take for granted – like access to a sink – people living on the streets develop health issues. Things like dental issues, skin conditions, foot pain, and hypothermia, which can all prevent keeping a job or finding housing, and can lead to long-term health problems.

BACS’ partner Simply the Basics takes hygiene seriously, and has donated 2,600 hygiene kits, 8,900 feminine hygiene products, and 650 detergent packets for laundry over the last two and a half years.

Wellness Centers 50 Year Anniversary

Towne House

BACS is celebrating the 50 year anniversary of BACS’ Wellness Centers (originally called the Creative Living Centers)!

BACS opened our Wellness Centers in 1969 to fill a crucial need in the community: welcoming and accessible community spaces for individuals living with behavioral health issues. Our Wellness Centers offer classes and programs, skills-building, and behavioral health services. Our Wellness Centers have made a difference for thousands of people over the last 50 years. Learn more about our Wellness Centers here. Thank you to everyone who makes our Wellness Centers special!

Invest in Your Community

Micah square

Our work has profound individual and community impacts. Every person that comes to BACS for help can achieve stability, move off of the streets, get a job, live safely with their mental health issue, or stay out of jail. And for each of those success stories, our community gets better. We see fewer people living on the streets or in poverty. We spend less on emergency medical services. We see less of our tax money going to prisons. Your investment in BACS, and in the people we help, transforms our community.

Donate to BACS online by clicking here, or via mail to 390 40th Street, Oakland, CA 94609. Make an ongoing impact by donating monthly.

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BACS is accredited by CARF, an international independent accrediting body, whose focus is on ensuring high-quality services.