Bay Area Community Services (BACS)

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BACS Connections October 2018

October 29, 2018

Keep Oakland Housed

Keep Oakland Housed logo

This month, BACS launched a historic new program to address the housing crisis in Oakland – by preventing homelessness before it starts. Keep Oakland Housed (KOH) will prevent Oaklanders from losing their housing through emergency financial assistance, supportive services, and legal representation.

At BACS, we receive a thousand or more calls each month from people who are on the brink of losing their housing. KOH means that BACS can answer these calls and say YES, we can help you.

KOH is a partnership between BACS, EBCLC, and Catholic Charities of the East Bay, funded by The San Francisco Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, in partnership with the City of Oakland.

If you need help, visit us online here. If you want to sustain this initiative, make a donation today!

Honoring Patrick, Peer Lead at Towne House

Towne House

BACS’ Towne House Wellness Center team wants to celebrate Patrick, Peer Lead at the wellness center. Patrick is often the first person a visitor or member to Towne House sees.

His Towne House team says “Patrick is a pure pleasure to work with. Patrick’s calm and warm demeanor is always welcomed by staff and participants a like. Any task that he is asked to complete, or assist with is done with a positive attitude and smile. We here at Towne House truly appreciate you Patrick, and we just want to say thank you!”

Start a Career with BACS

BACS services are always expanding, and we are currently recruiting! Check out our career opportunities on our website, and learn more about what makes BACS special.

BACS welcomes people of all backgrounds and expertise to apply. Even if you have never worked in the mental health or homeless solutions fields, but you are inspired to make a change, reach out to BACS – we have many training and entry-level positions.

BACS provides benefits and perks like: fully covered medical/dental/vision/life insurance, tuition reimbursement for loans and tuition, clinical supervision hours towards licensure, internal growth opportunities, and more! BACS also works with a wide variety of populations, and has many opportunities for learning and advancement.

Oakland ADC Program Anniversary

BACS is delighted to celebrate the anniversary of our Oakland Adult Day Center! This Memory Care program started in 1987 in Oakland, and for 21 years has been a space where elders with memory disorders can connect with others, socialize, and participate in guided activities. Our services offer respite for caregivers and families.

Thank you to everyone who makes our programs special — caregivers, staff, and the participants who come every day!

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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Tagged With: city of oakland, housing, keep oakland housed, libby schaaf, mayor schaaf, towne house, Wellness Center

BACS Connections April 2018

April 25, 2018

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

Guardian Gym

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

Towne House

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

Charter Students

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?

Micah square

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!

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Tagged With: berkeley homelessness, boxing gym, forensic, guardian gym, guardian gym oakland, gym oakland, peer staff, stair berkeley, stair center berkeley, Wellness Center

Thomas J. Long Foundation

February 28, 2018

BACS is delighted to announce an historic grant from the Thomas J. Long Foundation, which awarded BACS $750,000 to support our senior services.

This year, BACS celebrates our 65th anniversary of providing crucial social services in the Bay Area. This foundation partnership supports our work, our sustainability, and our mission.

BACS’ Executive Director Jamie Almanza says “We are honored to receive this unprecedented grant from the Thomas J. Long Foundation. This foundation, and Thomas J. Long’s legacy, have been an integral part of the fabric of the Bay Area for decades. The Thomas J. Long Foundation has a true vision to nimbly make a difference by supporting what non-profits need.”

[Read more…]

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Tagged With: caregiver respite, caregiver support, charity, donation, long foundation, nonprofit, safety net, senior services, towne house, Wellness Center

BACS Connections April 2017

April 26, 2017

BACS Board of Directors Elects Three New Members

2017

BACS is delighted to announce the confirmations of three new members to the Board of Directors: Rebecca Altman, Judith Bloom, and Darryl Moore.

Rebecca Altman has a Master’s in Global Health, is Director at Third Plateau, and has substantial experience with social impact organizations. She is eager to support BACS in building a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant community in the Bay Area.

Darryl Moore is a long-time Berkeley resident and public servant, with 12 years on the Berkeley City Council in addition to numerous other positions. Darryl is excited to use his expertise in budgetary analysis and in Bay Area housing to benefit the agency and the community.

Judith Bloom is a former BACS Board member, serving from 1989-1996, and has been an active advocate for BACS since then. Judith is also a Certified Public Accountant, is on the Berkeley Symphony Advisory Committee, and is Treasurer of the Berkeley Holiday Fund.

Welcome to the BACS Board, Darryl, Judith, and Rebecca! To read more about our new members, see the full announcement here.

BACS Wellness Centers Celebrate 48 Years!

Charter Students

BACS is pleased to celebrate the 48 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 47 years. Learn more about our Wellness Centers here. Thank you to everyone who makes our Wellness Centers special!

May is National Mental Health Month

Mental-Health-Awareness

May is just around the corner, and it is time to celebrate National Mental Health Awareness Month!

Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, and mental health issues are common and treatable. If you or someone you know is experiencing behavioral health issues, you are not alone! Learn more about BACS and get help, make a difference for your community, or share your story with us today.

 Employee of the Month

Daniel employee of the monthBACS is delighted to announce Daniel Sanchez, Peer Counselor at BACS’ Solano Crisis Residential Center, as Employee of the Month for April!

In the year Daniel has been with BACS, his colleagues who nominated him say “he always presents an enthusiastic, whatever it takes attitude, and is very flexible and positive!”

Daniel says “My favorite part of working at BACS is knowing I am part of something greater than myself. My greatest success has been inspiring hope in the clients… I love that feeling that I am making a difference in the client’s lives.”

Congratulations, Daniel!

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?

Micah square

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!

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Tagged With: berkeley holiday fund, darryl moore, employee recognition, end homelessness, jamie almanza, judith bloom, mental health, mental health awareness month, national mental health month, philanthropy, rebecca altman, Wellness Center

Ursula Sears Promoted from Within!

July 19, 2016

Ursula Sears, previously a BACS Peer Counselor, has been promoted internally to Program Supervisor at BACS’ Hedco Wellness Co-Op in Hayward.

Ursula first got connected to BACS in 2014, when she came to Hedco for her interview and fell in love with the location – especially our massive kitchen. She immediately began thinking of all the opportunities to help people at Hedco. [Read more…]

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Tagged With: bay area nonprofit, employee recognition, job opportunities, nonprofit jobs, peer counselor, peer supervisor, promotion, Wellness Center

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