Announcing New Strategic Plan
BACS was founded in 1953 – and over the last 65 years, BACS has tailored our services to keep up with the changing needs of our community. BACS’ Strategic Plan for 2018-2020, rooted in our mission and our vision, is to focus on three solutions that aim to chip away at systematic barriers for healthy communities: Housing is the Solution, Community is the Solution, and Sustainability is the Solution. Our full announcement is here.
Sup. Keith Carson Visits HFSN
Supervisor Keith Carson and 40 State/County Representatives visited BACS’ Housing Fast Support Network (HFSN) in September. After touring the encampments in Oakland, and meeting with community members experiencing homelessness. Then, they came to HFSN to tour members and staff of the California State Association of Counties and to share the work that Alameda County is doing to end homelessness. Thank you for visiting, Supervisor Carson!
Donate Your Car to BACS!
Board Member Alistair McElwee generously donated his car to BACS, with the assistance of CARS, Inc.! If you want to donate your car to BACS, go to careasy.org and enter BACS as the charity of choice. Then, enter your contact information and schedule a pickup time. The CARS representative will come, check your ownership papers, and load the car onto the truck. Your car can be in any condition. 70% of the proceeds from the sale of your car will come to BACS as a donation.
BACS extends our gratitude to Alistair McElwee, for donating his car, and to CARS, for making it so simple!
Mayor Schaaf Connects with Formerly Homeless Community
This month, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf came to BACS’ HFSN, located at our Henry Robinson Center, for an intimate meeting with BACS participants affected by homelessness. Mayor Schaaf sat down with Miriam Martin, a local landlord, and two formerly homeless BACS participants, Fatima Washington and Christopher Riese, to hear their stories. Each was impacted by the housing crisis in the Bay Area. Their experiences demonstrate that homelessness can happen to anyone – but also, anyone can help make a difference. Check out their full stories here.
The Meyer Corporation Donates to BACS
BACS is delighted to thank our community partners at The Meyer Corporation, who donated a van full of kitchenware to our Towne House Wellness Center! This bulk donation allowed us to replace all of our cookware, which is used every day by our participants who cook a hot breakfast and lunch for each other, fostering community. This is an incredibly exciting donation. Thank you to the Meyer Corporation!
HIP Annual BBQ
HIP team celebrated their annual HIP BBQ alongside amazing participants at Lake Chabot. We love building community with TAY across Alameda county and to show them that we appreciate their commitment to the program. We have so much fun sharing laughs, participating in activities, such as going on scavenger hunts, water balloons toss, and giving away prizes. The HIP team appreciates servicing our TAY and seeing them succeed in making new friends.
FREE at Santa Rita Jail
BACS’ Forensic Re-Entry and Empowerment (FREE) program visited the Santa Rita Jail Service Fair for inmates who are seeking services upon release from jail. Of all the programs, BACS is the only one providing some form of housing support – and we were able to waitlist 100 inmates pre-release! We look forward to helping each of them when they re-enter the community.
Employee of the Month
BACS is excited to announce that Sarina Huerta, Peer Counselor, is the Employee of the Month! Sarina’s nominator says that she is “always willing to help out, solve a problem, share her knowledge, assist with a crisis – and all with a reassuring smile.”
Sarina’s favorite part of her job is that at BACS “we literally do whatever it takes to connect our participants to the resources they need to maintain their health, wellness and independence and in turn supporting them in improving their overall quality of life.” Congratulations, Sarina!
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!
