Bay Area Community Resources

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Last updated on July 31, 2007

Bay Area Community Resources is a multi-service nonprofit agency whose mission is to promote the healthy development of individuals and families, encourage volunteerism and help build community.

Description:
There are three core components to BACR's mission:

I. Provide direct services to promote healthy development;
II. Encourage volunteers to provide service to their community; and
III. Build and strengthen all of the communities we serve, so that community members and institutions can affect change.

I. DIRECT SERVICES

BACR direct services are organized into program groups, which have a similar focus and common participant outcomes. These programs serve youth and adults in seven Bay Area counties and numerous communities and over 70 schools (K-12). Direct services are provided in each of the following program groups:

ALCOHOL AND DRUG
Education, counseling, crisis intervention treatment and referral services are provided to adults and youth having a broad spectrum of needs, including the need for basic information to treatment for chronic alcoholism and/or drug dependency. To facilitate access to services, BACR also provides services in various settings: schools, county public assistance offices, community medical clinics, jail and freestanding recovery centers. Targeted populations include: students in alternative education; drinking drivers; pregnant and parenting women in Marin County; and persons involved with the criminal justice system.

MENTAL HEALTH
BACR provides school-based counseling services to improve emotional functioning and peer/family relationships of youth and families in the three counties of Alameda, Contra Costa and Marin. Counseling programs in Marin County and the Gateway Project in West Contra Costa County and Berkeley provide services aimed at reducing risk factors and promoting resiliency among participants.

ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE
The student academic assistance programs work to help youth achieve success in school. Tutoring services are provided in-class, after school and during intercession in schools in West Contra Costa, Berkeley, East Palo Alto, and San Rafael with an emphasis on literacy. Services are primarily provided by trained volunteers including VISTA members, AmeriCorps members and college students. In addition, the programs organize volunteers to coordinate community service projects.

BACR operates BAYAC AmeriCorps, which is a consortium of over 20 youth agencies in the Bay Area. Approximately 80 full time AmeriCorps and VISTA members, and 80 part time AmeriCorps members are placed at BACR program sites and member agency sites where they provide tutoring, after school enrichment and health education.

ENRICHMENT

After school enrichment services are provided in elementary and middle schools in East Palo Alto, West Contra Costa County Unified School District and San Rafael. Services are provided to youth so that they have a safe, enjoyable and productive experience after school. Activities are aimed at increasing students' ability to set and reach goals, improve relationships with family, adults and peers, and learn to give back to their communities.

The CHALK program provides opportunities for youth to be employed and provide phone, online and outreach services to peers who are in need of information regarding personal and life issues.

COMMUNITY HEALTH
BACR is devoted to developing leaders and mobilizing community members to improve health and well being through policy development and community change. This year we will continue our work in promoting strategies that reduce teen pregnancy in Richmond through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project. Another focus is reducing tobacco use through community norm change strategies. RIDE is a state-wide project countering tobacco advertising and reducing secondhand smoke among Asian American import car enthusiasts. The Tobacco Policy Project provides technical assistance to Marin County agencies to adopt tobacco sponsorship and divestment policies.

TOBACCO EDUCATION SERVICES
BACR's tobacco education services provide cessation awareness and quit services to adult smokers in Marin County, with particular emphasis on persons aged 18-24 and pregnant and parenting women and families. As well, school-based services are provided in Marin to prevent and/or reduce smoking among youth. SUNSET Tobacco Education project addresses smoking among Russian newcomers in San Francisco.

II. ENCOURAGE VOLUNTEERS TO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THEIR COMMUNITY.

All programs in the BACR family encourage 'giving back' to the local communities. We organize community service projects conducted by volunteers, many of whom have been service recipients, who commit to a weekend - or sometimes commit to a year - to mentor or tutor a young person. These projects provide a positive and meaningful experience for over 1000 volunteers, as well as build on their skills and commitment to civic responsibility. At the same time, they are making a positive difference in the lives of individuals and in their community.

III. BUILD AND STRENGTHEN ALL OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE SO THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND INSTITUTIONS CAN AFFECT CHANGE.

Building community in all we do is part of the BACR way. Each program sees itself as part of the community and seeks out community partners with whom to collaborate. Our staff represents the agency on numerous coalitions sharing a common vision of community empowerment and capacity building.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND STAFFING

A 10 member Board of Directors is the legal entity responsible for the operation of the agency. It develops agency policy, and the mission and goals of the agency, and ensures that adequate resources are available to carry out such goals.

BACR is led by an Executive Director, Associate Executive Director and a program-based team of Project Directors. BACR has approximately 200+ staff members as well as 120 full time AmeriCorps and VISTA Members and 80 part time AmeriCorps Members.

The agency's FY 2006-07 budget is $20 mm. Major funding sources include government-35%; corporate and foundation grants-20%; in-kind contributions-20%; school contracts-23%; and other-2%.

SUMMARY OF FY 2006/2007 PROJECT SERVICES

Including services provided by BAYAC (Bay Area Youth Agency Consortium) BACR will deliver nearly 679,000 staff and volunteer hours of service directly serving 11,400 individuals and reaching an additional 114,000 students/individuals and their families. Sixty-five percent (65%) of all services will be provided by volunteers, interns or AmeriCorps members.

STRATEGIC PLAN

BACR has developed a Strategic Plan utilizing a model based upon Stanford's Graduate Business School strategy framework. The plan affirms our core mission and values, identifies four competitive advantages and articulates three developmental goals.

Contact people:

Peggy Alfrey, Administrative Assistant, (phone), (email)
Martin Weinstein, Executive Director, (phone), (email)
Lissa Franklin, President, Board of Directors, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (415) 444-5580
Office fax number: (415) 444-5598

Address:

171 Carlos Drive
San Rafael, CA 94903
(See a map)

Web Site: http://www.bacr.org

Miscellaneous Information

Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency?

Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese

What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency?

No age requirement

Is your agency wheelchair accessible?

Yes

Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10?

Yes

Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20?

Yes

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