Bakersfield Homeless Center

We are incredibly grateful to be one of the non-profit organizations that Bank of America has supported this year. Their donation of 50,000 masks and hundreds of bottles of sanitizer helped ensure our most vulnerable neighbors had access to the most important basic personal protections needed right now.

Kern County is a place that doesn't give up. We've met a lot of challenges this year and we've faced them together. Every time we've asked for help, you've been here to support us and those in need. Because of your support this year, around 600 people were able to find safety and shelter with us - about half of them were children. We were also able to help over 1,000 people move home. As this year comes to a close, we have hope for a bright new year. And we are gratefu...l to walk towards it with you. Thank you for loving your neighbor. #morethanshelter #loveyourneighbor

Socks are one of our most needed items. Thank you to Fairy Godmother Inc. a Wedding and Event Company for having a sock drive to help keep our families warm and cozy this winter.

Santa had a little extra help this year! Thank you to everyone who donated toys during KGET - TV 17 Bakersfield 17 Days of Christmas and this year's Toy Run! The outpouring of support from our community gave the children in our shelter an extra special Christmas. (Watch to minute 1:13 to see the cutest little Santa!)

We have 10 families who are in need of a microwave. Can you help?

We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Our administration office and donation center will be closed today starting at noon and on Christmas day.

Thank you to everyone who came out bright and early this morning for the Toy Run! It was a little different this year, but you made sure that the kids in our shelter will have a special Christmas. And a big thank you to our sponsors Dignity Health and Adventist Health!

CEO Louis Gill shares 3 stories of gratitute that you help make possible and ways you can help families in need this holiday season.

The annual Toy Run is happening tomorrow morning from 6am-8am! This year we are having a drive-thru drop off for the toy donation and sweatshirt pick up, then run or walk at a place of your own choosing. We plan to have multiple lanes to keep the line moving!

A big Thank You! to Roy from Retro Painting for providing nachos at our Halloween Carnival and Nathan from Polo Express for giving train rides to all the kiddos!

Thank you Urner's! This will help so many families!

Happy Halloween!

Tonight's Plans: 1. See the Christmas Star 2. Drive by Dustin's Diner

Thank you Tejon Ranch for donating toys and canned goods!

As part of our Fall season enrichment, our current cohort of students attending our Champ Camp program had the opportunity to learn about the life cycle of butterflies through hands-on observation. They monitored the growth of the caterpillars, their transition of the chrysalises, and the final stage of the butterfly. Most importantly, our students learned that ultimately the butterflies must be released to continue their journey south for warmer weather and better days.

Thank you Democratic Women of Kern for for the toys and gift cards for our kids and teens!

Thank you Valley Republic Bank for supporting our Covid relief efforts during this time!

Jim Burke Ford Lincoln made a special Christmas delivery this morning in a brand new Expedition stuffed with toys and gifts for our teens from their annual Giving Tree. Thank you!!

Thank you Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Jeffrey Bell for becoming a sponsor of the Freeway Litter Program. Thanks to your contribution to the Bakersfiel...d Foundation for our community, we are able to contract a crew from Bakersfield Homeless Center to help clean up litter and weeds on The City of Bakersfield - Government Westside Parkway. #partofthecrew #dobeautifulthings #keepbakersfieldbeautiful #communityinvolvement #bakersfield See more

We have a client ready to move into her own place, but she needs a refrigerator and oven before she can move in. She has worked hard to find a new home and this will be her first home on her own. Can you help?

We have some sweet news! Smith's Bakeries is now providing daily yummy baked goods for our families!!. Thank you Smith’s!!

Amanda came into the shelter a year ago with the goals of reuniting with her children and obtaining stable housing. No matter how difficult the obstacle or task, Amanda was determined to complete them all to rehabilitate her past and make a better life for her family. She faced a lot of barriers and yet, despite having multiple doors closed on her, she never gave up and finally was able to move into her own home! This past year Amanda also faced the challenge of navigating th...e transition to distance learning for her five children. In spite of the struggles, and with the assistance of the amazing tutors in our Champ Camp program, Amanda’s children were active participants and maintained 100% attendance in school! Helping our shelter families find housing has been a challenge during these difficult and uncertain times. However, our hard-working staff have proven that even during a global pandemic, helping children and families return to a safe and healthy home is vital and necessary. #morethanshelter #homesweethome #homelessnomore

Halloween will look different this year, but we still want to make it a special day for the children staying in our shelter. If you have any gently used costumes (all ages, sizes, and genders) or extra candy, please consider donating them to us.

Be Santa's helper this year and donate new, unwrapped toys for the kids at the Bakersfield Homeless Center and Boys & Girls Club!

Our Housing Navigators are ready to help! If you are at risk of losing your current living situation, we are here for you.

Thank you Bank of America #BofAVolunteers for kicking off the 17 Days of Christmas Toy Drive and #GivingTuesday by donating Christmas toys to the our girls and boys! If you also want to make a child smile this holiday season, donations can be dropped off now through Dec. 17th at KGET studios or at our donation center.

More beds. Expanded children's educational instruction. Increasing homelessness prevention services. Watch this update from our CEO to see how we're working to expand hope during these uncertain times.

If you’re doing some big shopping on Amazon today, a portion of your purchases will be donated to us when you use Amazon Smile and select Bethany Services, Inc. You also can add Amazon Smile onto your Amazon mobile app! Get the goods while doing good!

Our administration and donation center will be closed from noon today through Friday. Happy Thanksgiving!

One thousand thanks to the Bakersfield Sikh Women’s Association for donating 1000 masks!

Thank you to George Hay with Jim Burke Ford Lincoln and Food for the Frontline Kern County for for donating 4,500 masks and 60 Happy Jacks pies for our Thanksgiving meal!

Thank you to everyone who donated during our Back to School campaign! Because of your, the kids staying with us have the supplies and instruction they need to start the school year strong. Please watch the video to see a short message from our CEO.

The Junior League of Bakersfield has been donating snacks for our students in Champ Camp via Amazon. They have been super helpful to sustain our students energy for their day long learning. Thank you for the goodies!

A big thank you to Hazardous Trucking for helping stock our shelves.

Creating Jobs. Brightening Streets. Brightening Lives. The Downtown Street Ambassador program is a partnership between The City of Bakersfield - Government and the Bakersfield Homeless Center Job Development Program. Not only do the crew members work to keep the streets of downtown Bakersfield clean, but they also make connections with the most vulnerable homeless individuals in our community - showing them they are cared about, letting them know there is help, and pointing them to supportive services. #brighteningstreets #brighteninglives #downtownstreetambassadors #morethanshelter

Thank you Bakersfield Wolves Girls’ Basketball!

This holiday season, we expect to serve over 35,000 meals and give out hundreds of meal kits to families in need. Please help by donating perishable and non-perishable items such as: Turkeys, ham, vegetables, fruit, rolls, coffee, butter, pies, etc. Upcoming events and drop off locations: Nov 15th at Noon: Hazardous Trucking Canned Food Drive-Thru drop off - Beach Park, 3400 21st Street (canned foods only)... Nov 12- Dec 14: At Home Inspections - 3232 Rio Mirada Dr., Suite C4, 93308 (canned foods only) Or any weekday/Saturday at our donation center: 1600 E Truxtun Ave, 93305. (perishable and non-perishable accepted) If you are hosting your own canned food or holiday gift drive, send us a message and we'll add you to the list!

The administration offices and donation center are closed today in observance of Veteran’s Day.

Help us stock our pantry on Nov. 15th at Hazardous Trucking’s annual canned food drive!

The Administration office and Donation Center are closed today in observance of Labor Day.

Pacifica Senior Living donated hygiene items to help our families as part in International Day of Charity today. Thank you!

As a homeless youth, Destiny struggled to establish herself with minimal financial support from family. While staying at our shelter, she wanted to contribute by volunteering to maintain our dormitory and grounds. Through her initiative, she gained employment through our Job Development program on one of our Highway Clean-up crews. Simultaneously, working hand-in-hand with her BHC case manager, Destiny was matched to housing assistance through a Housing Authority program for Homeless Youth and was able to move into her own home! Destiny is a shining example of hard work, determination, and heart. Congratulations Destiny and welcome home!

Shout out to Stinson's for supporting and believing in our Job Development Program by contracting our crews to maintain their property. They are making a way for people to get back into the workforce and create a better future for themselves and their families. Follow our work crews on Instagram (@bhccrews) to see before and after pictures of the good work they do!

Thank you Mercy Hospital Downtown - Bakersfield and KGET - TV 17 Bakersfield for supporting our kids as they go back to school!

And so it begins. Many of the kids staying with us started back to school today. We have modified our Champ Camp after school program into an all day learning environment. Thank you to everyone who has helped us with supplies and resources to make sure they start the school year strong and healthy.

Thank you to Rick for donating these solid colored backpacks especially for our teens, as well as other supplies for all grade levels. Backpacks are still essential supplies for the youth staying with us, since they will be taking their work to and from their rooms to the designated study areas.

Thank you to the Wonderful Orchards employees who made 400 adult and 100 kid sized masks for our residents!

We are grateful and thankful to have a partner in the Ravi and Naina Patel Foundation who makes sure our most vulnerable neighbors are cared for during their most vulnerable moments. "To support the Bakersfield Homeless Center through this unprecedented time, The Ravi and Naina Patel Foundation has donated $40,000. The funds will be used towards a variety of services including: Equipping the lobbies and other points of contact with Plexiglass shields ... Tutoring and support for students/children Supplies such as diapers, baby wipes and feminine hygiene products, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, disinfectants and more"

We’re getting Champ Camp ready for the new school year! As the only emergency homeless shelter for famIlies, we will have around 70+ students distance learning from our shelter. Ensuring that children’s educational development does not suffer because of situations beyond their control has always been a priority to us. Can you help us make sure they have the supplies and stability they need this school year? #backtoschool #morethanshelter

Thanks to the Democratic Women Of Kern for another donation of masks! We are still in need and still accepting masks.

While the school year may look a little different for most students, the need to support children who are homeless in their schooling is even greater this year.... That is why Dignity Health is partnering with KGET - TV 17 Bakersfield for the 17 Days Back To School Drive to help provide school supplies to Kern County students living at the Bakersfield Homeless Shelter. But, we can't do it alone! We need your help! There are two ways to donate. You can drop off items to the Bakersfield Homeless Center or simply donate online by visiting BAKHC.com and clicking on the "Donate Today" button. All items and funds will directly support the needs of these students who do not have access to online services and need items such as calculators, notebooks, backpacks and other essential items to complete their education. We hope you’ll join us in this very special cause. Thank you for your humankindness! See more

"Workers at the Ming Avenue Blaze Pizza prepare pizzas for delivery to the Bakersfield Homeless Center. Valley franchisee Martha Olmos got her stores involved in Gift A Plate, which aims to feed those most at risk." Thank you Blaze Pizza!

Ingenuity + compassion = Elyse. Elyse is a student from BHS who made 30 face shields with her 3D printer and donated them to BHC staff. Thank you Elyse!

Fabiola is a single mother with two kids. When Fabiola first came to our shelter, she was without her kids. It was during this time in a stable living environment that she worked hard to complete her educational classes to get her kids back. With help from BHC, Fabiola was able to find permanent housing for herself and reunite with her kids. Hard work prevails!

We need volunteers! The areas most in need right now are: 1) Meal Service. Help serve breakfast, lunch, or dinner any day of the week. 2) Champ Camp summer program for kids. Volunteers will be paired with one or more children to help with educational packets, read favorite books together, and participate in enrichment activities. The program is Mon-Thurs between 8am-12pm, high school age or older. Come for one day, or come for them all! ... To see available times, other opportunities, and sign up, go to: https://bakhc.org/volunteer/ NOTE: For all volunteers, we are doing basic health screenings and requiring masks before entry onto campus.

UPDATE: This is Dean. He is our crew member you’ve been praying for. You would never guess he was in critical condition just a couple of weeks ago. Among other things, he had broken ribs and a hole in his lung from the accident. Throughout it all, he stayed in good spirits, even wanting the nurse to call and tell us he wouldn’t be able to go to work the day after the accident (uh, yeah!). He was released from the hospital and is recovering in a physical therapy facility. Thank you to the people that helped at the scene, the doctors and nurses, and you for continuing to pray for him. Our thoughts are with you, Dean! (shared with permission)

Thank you to George Masud (owner of Waterfall Cleaners) for donating these masks for our staff to use!

UPDATE: Our crew member is currently in the ICU in stable condition, but will require surgery. We understand the prognosis to be good. The other members have been released to go home. Thank you for all your prayers and well wishes. - We are deeply saddened to report that this morning, as 4 members of one of our Work Crews were cleaning the greenspace along highway 178, another truck veered off the road and hit both a CalTrans Safety Truck and our crew's vehicle. Seve...ral crew members were injured due to the crash. They were rushed to the hospital; one in critical condition and the other three suffered less life threatening injuries. Our Work Crew members provide a vital service to our community by keeping our streets and highways clear of debris, trash, and overgrowth. They put in the hard work each day to make a better future for themselves and a better community for us all. Now they need your show of support. Please join us in praying for our crew members, especially for healing for the crew member who is in critical condition. *Please note we cannot release any personal information about the crew members, but will update you with information as it becomes available.

Thank you Adventist Health for answering our call for masks!

We appreciate the Democratic Women Of Kern, Truskool, and Waterfall Cleaners for bringing masks today! This is a great start! Thank you to everyone who is answering our call for help!

Help! With Governor Newsom’s new order, we are going to need a lot more masks. With nearly 200 individuals staying with us every night, half of them children, we will need at least double the amount of cloth masks so they can rotate wearing and washing. Can you help with youth or adult sized face masks?

Thank you to Kern Family Health Care who provided a grant for us to help clients purchase refrigerator so that they can move out of our shelter and into their own home.

Thank you for the shout out California Resources Corporation! We're thankful for your partnership and support.

There is danger in not identifying with those hurting. How will our community respond to the undeniable pain that has been caused? We can either deny and dig our trenches or we can reach for one another and learn from each other. Community is full of neighbors. Go talk to your neighbor, a new neighbor. #blackouttuesday

Thank you Shoyu Sushi for your generosity to us and small businesses around town!