BACS Awarded STAIR Center in Berkeley
BACS is delighted to announce that we are expanding our homeless and housing services to Berkeley! BACS was selected to operate the STAIR Center in Berkeley, which will provide short-term housing and housing placement services to people living in encampments in Berkeley. BACS looks forward to bringing our mission and vision to Berkeley.
We are expanding rapidly to meet the needs in Berkeley – and you can help. Donate today to help the STAIR Center succeed. Or, if you or someone in your network has an interest in working with the homeless, we are recruiting! Check out open positions here.
Matching Grant Opportunity
The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation has offered BACS a $50,000 challenge grant to help end homelessness. We need community support to help us meet this match. You can make a gift towards this goal and double your impact: donate now!
Criminal Justice
BACS’ Forensic Re-Entry and Empowerment (FREE) program recently participated in the very first Forensic Peer Specialist certification class for the State of California!
Brandie Greene, Personal Services Coordinator at BACS, presented innovative ideas developed by the FREE team, to help better serve participants across California.
Success Stories in Ending Homelessness
BACS’ Landlord Liaison program has been working to house chronically homeless participants who have been living in their cars, shelters, or on the streets. We work with local landlords to find or create safe, affordable housing, which they can then rent to people exiting homelessness.
One of our participants, who wished to remain anonymous, has been homeless for 15 years. The moment he stepped foot in his new home, he looked over at his BACS Housing Coordinator gratefully and said, “It’s been a long time. I never thought I would live to see the day.”
If you are inspired to help, email us to learn more!
Local Boxing Gym Inspires BACS’ Teens
BACS’ Thunder Road provides behavioral health and substance use treatment for Bay Area teens – and BACS is excited to announce a new partner! Guardian Gym, located in Oakland near Thunder Road, is a non-profit martial arts gym rooted in community. Guardian Gym says, “Our space was founded on the belief that almost everyone wants to be a part of a tribe, and we work daily to serve as a vital space for our community.”
The gym is free for kids ages 10-18, and has opened its doors to the youth at Thunder Road. They are benefiting from the healthy and fun activity, as well as the welcoming environment.
Wellness Centers 49 Year Anniversary
BACS is celebrating the 49 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 49 years. Learn more about our Wellness Centers here. Thank you to everyone who makes our Wellness Centers special!
Employee of the Month
BACS is delighted to announce Mateo Chavez as Employee of the Month!
Mateo works with BACS’ Transition Aged Youth (TAY) programs, and is always enthusiastic, flexible, and very positive.
Mateo likes his work with BACS because, “There are so many people in the community that are under-served and forgotten who need the type of services that BACS provides. We work with the toughest of tough clients who sometimes come to us with multiple needs but are unable to articulate them. Nevertheless, regardless of where they stand in their present lives, they are provided the support they want and often times the support they don’t realize they need.”
April is Stress Awareness Month
Held each April since 1992, Stress Awareness Month is honored by health care professionals and support service providers to increase public awareness about both the causes and possible cures for modern stress epidemics. At BACS, we strive to create and maintain a cooperative effort to support and inform both participants and staff about the dangers of stress. Promoting effective coping and relaxation strategies are integrated within our daily commitment to wellness. Through this mission we aim to reduce harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our everyday lives and activities. This month, at Hedco Wellness Center in Hayward, we have successfully implemented several strategies for reducing stress including: yoga, baking club, walk therapy groups and peer led arts and crafts.
Join Our Cause
Do you want to join BACS in our mission to uplift under-served individuals and their families by doing whatever it takes?
Donate
Donate to BACS online by clicking here, or via mail to 629 Oakland Ave, Oakland, CA 94612. Make an ongoing impact by donating monthly!
Or, donate gently used blankets, canned goods, and other items to our housing programs. Email us to learn more.
Work Here
BACS services are always expanding, and we are currently recruiting! Check out our job opportunities. Learn more on our website or by calling 510.613.0330.
Planned Giving
Many people leave a charitable gift in their will. Do you want to make a lifetime of impact in the community you care about? Email us to learn more!
BACS is delighted to announce Daniel Sanchez, Peer Counselor at BACS’ Solano Crisis Residential Center, as Employee of the Month for April!
