Currents Newsletter

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BOSS Currents January 2010

To lead the people, walk behind them.  ~Lao-Tzu

 

HOLIDAY SPIRIT ~ A THOUSAND THANK YOU’S!

Every year during the holidays BOSS is approached by dozens of businesses, schools, faith groups, families, and individuals who want to contribute, to bring joy and warmth to homeless kids and adults during the holidays and cold winter months.

A special thanks, as always, to BOSS Community Organizer Janny Castillo, for coordinating people and programs, picking up and delivering boxes and bags, and keeping her own and everyone’s spirits high during a hectic month.

And a thousand thank you’s to our many contributors ~ thanks to these generous donors and volunteers, the people in BOSS programs had warm coats, clothes, and shoes, toys and gifts, food, lifted spirits, and joyful memories despite hard times and ongoing challenges (listed alphabetically):

Airport Home Appliance, APEC Geomatrix Inc., Attorneys for Children, Azalia, Barbara Cohen, Barbara Cohen, Bayside Montessori, Berkeley Holiday Fund, Cool Systems Inc., Crowden Elementary School, Elmwood Realty, Fagan, Freedman and Frost, Family Giving Tree, Family Valas, Girl Scout Troupe #32158, Headroyce School, Hope 4 the Heart, Iron Souls of Oakland Motorcycle Club, ISMRM, Jamie Wolf, Kaiser Permanente, Kelly-Moore Paint - Alameda, KTVU - Rosy Chu, Laura Lippay, Le Foot, Lend A Hand, Lenore Silverman, Lisa Arbuckle, Liz Davlin, Loyal Army Clothing, MPR Associates, Oakland Firefighters Random Acts, Peach Pit Press, Project Night Night, Property Profiles, Property Smith, Prospect Sierra School, Roche Molecular, SEIU #1000, SEIU #1021, SEIU Toy Drive, Skanska USA, St. Paul’s AME Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Susan Leanardish, Tassajara 4F, Temple Sinai, Toys for Tots - City of Berkeley Police Dept., Turner Construction Co., UC Berkeley Sociology Dept., UCB Interfaith Action Initiative, Warm Wishes, Wells Fargo

 

UPCOMING EVENTS!!

HOMELESSNESS ENDS WITH A HOME–HOUSEKEYS NOT HANDCUFFS RALLY

January 20th, 2010 at 11:00 AM

San Francisco Federal Building

90 7th Street (corner of Mission & 7th)

Join contingents of the affordable housing movement from Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and other U.S. cities to celebrate the 1-year administration of the Obama administration, and advocate for the CHANGE we have been waiting for—affordable housing, access to health care, and social justice.

A PLACE TO PLAY ~ BENEFIT FOR HOMELESS KIDS PLAYGROUND

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center

1317 San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley

Doors open at 6:30, Show starts at 7:00

Tickets: $10 (add’l donations welcome!)

Help raise funds to create a beautiful, eco-friendly, imagination-enriching play space for the homeless children and youth at Ursula Sherman Village, BOSS’s largest housing and services program for homeless families and individuals, located in West Berkeley. Local up and coming acoustic groove/soul band Alma Desnuda will headline, plus special performances and art activities throughout the evening. All proceeds will support the Village playground rehab project, being spearheaded with seed funding and volunteer support from the Berkeley Rotary Club.

HOMEBASE 5th ANNUAL WINE TASTING & SILENT BENEFIT

Friday, February 26, 2010

6:00-9:00 PM

Location TBA ~ Tickets: $30

BOSS will have an outreach table at this annual fundraiser for HomeBase, a public policy law firm dedicated to ending homelessness through policy research, education, and advocacy. Join us for wine, prizes, and fun—stop by our table and make a donation!

SESA WORUBAN* CELEBRATION

Thursday, June 10, 2010

6:00-8:00 PM

First Unitarian Church of Oakland

685 14th Street in Oakland

*An Adinkra symbol meaning ‘I Change or Transform My Life’

Please join us at BOSS’s next large community celebration, with African dance by Decontee Liberian Dance Troupe, music, and dinner, plus awards, special guests, readings from a community-wide Transformation Writing Contest, networking and inspiration. Tickets are $100 ($60 for nonprofits, $40 low-income). SPONSOR the event for promotional benefits! For more information, contact Sonja Fitz at (510) 649-1930 x 222 or sonja@self-sufficiency.org.