2020-2021 Annual Report

This year, BACS provided services to 14,699 neighbors experiencing behavioral health challenges, housing insecurity and/or homelessness, and other complex needs. As an historical agency celebrating our 68th anniversary, it is our founding commitment to do “whatever it takes” to meet the needs of our community. This Annual Report, and our work every single day, is dedicated to the people we serve.

This was a year of profound struggle; and yet, the BACS Community – all of you who will read our report – stepped up to the plate. Donors, community members, staff, board, volunteers, and advocates. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of all our donors, and the support of our volunteers and community partners – our work is made possible thanks to you.

Play Structure Ribbon Cutting for Kids without Housing at the SHARE Center

Kids living at the SHARE Center now have access to a play structure, provided by the community and built by volunteers, where they can get exercise and play outdoors!

Thank you to Supervisor Luis Alejo, who led the fundraising efforts and coordinated volunteers; to the donors who contributed to the play structure including Comcast; to the Monterey-Santa Cruz Building Trades Council for volunteering to assemble the play structure; and to the kids at SHARE for filling the space with joy and laughter – see the video here!

Our society makes it too easy to think of people without housing as a problem, and to consider the bare minimum that should be provided. At the SHARE Center, we have a determined focus on housing, but we also work to uplift every person who lives with us on their journey to housing. We help the “whole person,” and getting to play and exercise in the fresh air definitely helps the whole person.

BACS is going to keep doing “whatever it takes” to help each of these kids’ families find housing, but in the meantime, we are grateful to the active and engaged Salinas community for literally building joy for these kids.

Sacramento / CORE Expansion

BACS is very excited to share that we are expanding our impact in Sacramento County with two new CORE programs!  Our two CORE programs will each include a Wellness Center and an outpatient mental health program.

BACS opened the our first Wellness Center (WC) in the Bay Area in 1969, Towne House. For decades, our four WCs have been hubs of behavioral health, housing, employment, and community-building services. We serve thousands of people who need outpatient behavioral health support.

Our goal is to provide timely, flexible, low barrier services that reduce unnecessary contact with emergency health or justice systems, promote housing stability, strengthen community integration, and support transitions to lower levels of care. We are so excited to create these community centers, and look forward to inviting all our Sacramento neighbors to visit.

If you are interested in joining our growing Sacramento team, visit our website to learn about our benefits, our mission, and the open opportunities. 

Fremont Housing Navigation Center

Felix was born in Texas, but moved to the Bay Area years ago. He lived in several cites in the Bay Area, but Fremont was always his favorite because of the climate, the people, the food, and how walkable it is. Felix worked as a bank auditor, and was engaged. When his fiancée called off the engagement and ended their relationship, it destabilized him financially and emotionally, and he soon lost his job. Essentially, his personal safety net vanished, and his savings were not enough to keep him housed. He did not have a car, so he fell into street homelessness pretty quickly.

You can help thousands of people like Felix by donating today!

Graduates from Culinary School Start Fresh

Congratulations to the three BACS partners who graduated from the St. Vincent de Paul “Kitchen of Champions” Culinary Training program, and to our expert Employment Coordinators who made this possible! This specialized program provides in-depth training across nine weeks to prepare students for wide-ranging culinary employment opportunities. These three partners are part of our Housing Fast program, and are ready to start fresh and achieve lasting stability for themselves – including housing, employment, and community support. Cooking for others helps build self-confidence and meaningful connections, and we look forward to supporting these partners in their new careers!