The mission of the Bakersfield Homeless Center is to support homeless families and individuals while assisting them to achieve self-sufficient community living.

Bethany Services, founded in 1972, is a private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that owns and operates the Bakersfield Homeless Center. Bethany Services has provided services to homeless persons of Kern County for the last 32 years and opened the BHC on May 20,1991 after the decision was made to transition from a soup kitchen to a 24-hour emergency shelter. BHC has provided year-around emergency shelter, food, clothing, and supportive services for the last thirteen years. In that period, the BHC provided services to an astounding number of individuals and families in crisis, providing more than 2,000,000 hot meals  559,445 warm beds  2,268 jobs  2,275 housing placements.

Family homelessness continues to rise in Kern County. In 2001, Kern County was one of the nation's ten (10) poorest counties (Poverty USA Report compiled by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.) Between 1990 and 2000, the population of Bakersfield living in poverty increased by 190% making it the sixth highest increase in Metropolitan areas of the nation during that period of time (The Living Cities Census Series, The Brookings Institution, 5/2003). The current unemployment rate of Kern County is 13.9% overall, with some cities as high as 44.4% - well above the state average of 6.5% (California EDD, January, 04). These startling statistics are illustrative of the depth of poverty and unemployment - two primary factors leading to increased homelessness in our community. In the last two years, the overall services provided by BHC have increased by 52%.

Service is focused primarily on homeless families with children and single women along with a small percentage of single men. BHC is the only homeless family shelter between North Hollywood and Salinas, CA and is one of only a handful of homeless shelters in the state that accepts single fathers with children and that allows boys over the age of twelve to remain with their mothers in the dorm, rather than housed in the men¡¯s dorm.

Family homelessness is on the rise due to poverty, lack of affordable housing, limited education, inadequate job skills, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence and lack of family or other support networks. The BHC provides homeless families with food, shelter, and clothing. The Center is often the last barrier between these families and the streets.

After clients are safely sheltered and begin to recover from the initial crisis of becoming homeless, our Family Services Program provides extensive family case management to ensure maximum community support is available to them. The Family Services Program assists homeless families and individuals in accessing the services and community resources necessary to achieve stable, independent community living. Based upon a comprehensive needs assessment and psychosocial evaluation, BHC case managers assist homeless clients to develop and implement their own individualized service plans. BHC services include:

• Individual and family case management
• Family, individual, parenting, and group counseling
• Medical and dental evaluation and treatment
• Job training and placement
• Licensed on-site child care for families
• Search for affordable housing and housing placement
• Assistance with housing set-up including furniture, appliances, food, and clothing
• After care and follow-up to help families retain housing and prevent future homelessness

Many families and individuals work and still struggle to remain in their homes. Loss of job, illness, or other emergency expenses may result in less money for rent or mortgage payments and loss of home. BHC provides prevention services that help families in short-term crisis to remain in their housing. These services include:

• One-time payments for rent, mortgage, or utilities through FEMA assistance funding
• Monthly clothing giveaways
• Food baskets
• Holiday meals and gifts
• Back-to-school assistance

• BHC served more than 8,000 homeless children and adults.

• We provided services to more than 1,200 families with 2,600 children ¨C an increase of 73% more families and 12% more children than last year.

• 585 families and individuals were placed in permanent housing and received everything needed to set up their households.

• Medical and dental services were provided to 1,335 uninsured and underinsured people.

• 890 children were cared for by licensed childcare staff at Discovery Depot and in our after school program.

• BHC provided more than 45,595 comfortable and safe bed nights.

• 187,090 nutritious meals were served.

In collaboration with CSUB Foundation and HUD, developed the new Family Learning Center. Construction scheduled to begin in 2005.

In collaboration with CSUB Foundation/HUD/Weingart Foundation and local contributors, developed new Administrative Headquarters scheduled for construction in 2005.