BOSS serves all homeless people—families, individuals, people with disabilities, people overcoming substance abuse, veterans, seniors, working people, survivors of domestic violence, people with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses. Our participants are very diverse—all races, ethnicities, ages, genders, sexual preference, disability, and life experience. What they share is very low incomes and a lack of access to resources.

BOSS believes that all people are capable of transforming their lives with the right kind of resources and support. We see it every day: the homeless mother with children who is escaping domestic violence, going back to school, and building a new life; the mentally ill individual who has gone in and out of hospitals for years finds a supportive community that motivates them to stabilize their health and housing; the person overcoming substance abuse who finds new strength inside and new hope from having their own home.

Meet just a few of the people BOSS has served:

Lisa had been in BOSS for three years, and had been hospitalized three times in one last year for depression. “I was really a mess,” she says. For the first time, she could not ignore her depression, but did not know how to deal with it. While in BOSS, she was encouraged to attend the many classes available, but avoided engaging in services. Over time, however, the help did seep through—she got housing, started going to school, and worked part-time. She thanks BOSS staff who were “patient, supportive, and excruciatingly kind.”

Glenn K had been in and out of Ursula Sherman Village for two years due to moving into an unhealthy living arrangement and then a transitional house closing down. He has had 5 major heart attacks and three open heart surgeries. Due to his substance abuse he lost connection with his children. While in BOSS he found hope again, and secured subsidized housing. He took on a role within the Village community as a Facility Captain, helping to maintain the property at the Village. He tended to his physical health needs, following through with medical appointments that he was previously ignoring. He joined a local gym and decided to finally quit smoking. He made to visit with his children, and thanked staff and his peer community for their support.

Kathy worked at Cal State Hayward for eight years, and being laid off came out of the blue. She assumed finding another job would be easy, but it was not. Eventually her unemployment insurance ran out, and she started drinking too much in frustration. She lived in a car, on the streets, and occasionally in jail. She ended up at BOSS’s daytime drop-in center and got SSI but was still drinking. She worked to get clean, but kept relapsing. After more time in shelters, back on the streets, and in and out of John George hospital, she now has a Representative Payee at BOSS, which she likes because it gives her someone to check in with on a regular basis. She has maintained sobriety and has her own room in a board & care program. She enjoys having her own key, her own bed, her own TV—though it took getting used to.