BACS Opens New Supported Independent Living Site in Oakland

BACS is delighted to announce our new Supported Independent Living site in East Oakland!

Our SIL sites provide stable and permanent housing, at very low cost, for individuals with complex needs. Each resident is paired with a care coordinator to help them attain independent living skills in a supportive environment, including job support and mental health support. Residents learn skills by sharing responsibilities for cleaning, paying bills, and running their household.

We opened this location in pursuit of our mission to uplift under-served individuals and their families by doing whatever it takes. We also, this month, celebrate the 43 year anniversary of BACS’ Supported Independent Living (SIL) sites!

BACS opened our first Supported Independent Living site in 1973 to fill a crucial need in the community. Our Supported Independent Living sites have made a difference for thousands of people over the last 47 years. Learn more about our SILs here.

Welcoming Porsche Gordon: New BACS Board Member

Porsche Gordon was raised in the Bay Area and graduated from Skyline High School in Oakland before moving across country to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C. At Howard Porsche received her Bachelor of Arts in Management and later, her Master in Business Administration.

Porsche has since returned to the Bay Area to raise her two children and work as a development officer at Stanford University. Porsche has always had a sense of civic duty and is excited to continue her commitment to improve her community by joining the BACS Board of Directors. She brings with her over fourteen years of experience in non-profit fundraising and donor engagement.

Welcome, Porsche!

Making a Difference: Winter Shelter

As part of Oakland’s new model to address the homeless crisis, this winter BACS provided case management to the Winter Shelter (which runs from Nov 15^th to April 15^th) with a focus on targeting services to the most vulnerable and supporting individuals with accessing housing. Over the course of the winter we supported 15 individuals with securing permanent housing, a higher number than ever achieved in previous shelter models. In addition 25 moved in to our Housing Fast Support Network (HFSN) in downtown Oakland, to receive more robust support to achieve their housing goals.

Emily Harris from HFSN stepped in to lead this effort and did a tremendous job, working nightly to achieve these outcomes for our community!

 5th Annual We Move for Health Event

BACS is excited to come out and celebrate the 5th annual We Move for Health event, hosted by 10×10 Wellness. The event is Friday, May 20, 2016 10:00am – 3:00pm at Lake Merrit Bandstand Oakland.

Come out and celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month with us at the 5th Annual We Move for Health Event where we’ll be moving for healthy bodies and minds! This free event is open to all ages and will include a 1.5 mile walk around the beautiful Lake Merrit, Zumba, Chair Yoga, Line Dancing, a Kid’s Zone and many more activities to get our bodies moving.

For more information, visit Alameda County 10×10 Wellness Campaign’s website.

PEERS Partnership

Recently, the Valley Wellness Center Community partnered with PEERS (Peers Envisioning and Engaging in Recovery Services) for a ‘Reflections and Expressions’ art workshop.

Reflections & Expressions is an art and writing exercise with the purpose of inspiring participants to explore different ways of creating self-empowering messages.  The creative process involved in expressing one’s self artistically helps people understand and manage certain behaviors and feelings, reduce stress, improve self-esteem and awareness, and enhance overall wellness.

Thank you PEERS for bringing this wonderful and intentional workshop to the BACS Community.  We look forward to continuing this awesome partnership with you!

Employee of the Month

Linda Ngyuen, Personal Services Coordinator at our Valley Wellness Co-Op, is our May Employee of the Month!

Linda was nominated by her co-workers because she always goes above and beyond in her work. She represents BACS’ mission and values in the community, and always does whatever it takes to help.

Linda goes out of her way to attend community events on the weekend, to spread information and help connect people to BACS resources. She is constantly working to improve her work and our services, and attends external trainings whenever she gets the opportunity. Linda does her job with enthusiasm and radiates the ‘whatever it takes’ philosophy.

Linda says, “The most important work I get to do at BACS is being able to connect with all the participants on case management and those coming into the wellness co-op and being able to provide the support and linkage to community services. Plus side is all the amazing and supportive BACS employees I get to interact with on a daily basis.”

Congratulations, Linda!

Welcome to Samuel Merritt College Occupational Therapists!

Occupational Therapists from Samuel Merritt College have worked with BACS at our Memory Care adult day programs in Oakland and Fremont for years. Now, they are starting for the first time at the South County Wellness Center. Thank you for joining us, and welcome!

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? The community has asked us to provide more services than ever, based on need. In 2016, help us make this possible!

Donate

Donate to BACS online by clicking here, or via mail to 629 Oakland Ave, Oakland, CA 94612.

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.