2011 ORGANIZATIONAL HERO
Building Opportunities for
Self-Sufficiency
For its longstanding record of serving homeless individuals and families in Alameda County, California
First established in 1971 as a response to the closure of mental health hospitals, which put many mentally ill men and women into the streets, today Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS) serves more than 1,500 new homeless families and individuals each year. The organization's mission is to help homeless, poor, and disabled people achieve health and self-sufficiency, and to fight against the root causes of poverty and homelessness.
BOSS does its work through a network of housing and service programs in Berkeley, Oakland, and Hayward. The organization is led by a volunteer board of directors, and managed by an executive director and team of excellent managers and a trained unionized workforce—each bringing expertise in the four strategies of housing, health, economic development, and social justice. Strong partnerships with volunteers, community groups, and BOSS's homeless constituency is at the core of BOSS's work—the organization is well known for its commitment to inclusiveness and expanding the movement to end homelessness by involving all stakeholders.
Award Presenter
Sylvia Yee, Vice President of Programs, Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
