On behalf of Mia S., Chief of Service and the Holiday Meal committee,

Thank you to our supporters, volunteers, staff members, and guests who made the 2019 winter Holiday Meal a success on Saturday, December 14.

We had around 200 guests this year​ at the Holiday Meal​. We were able to offer soup, ​homemade ​salad​s​, ​delicious turkey​ or ​ham, ravioli/orzo salad, fresh veggies, along with homemade potato and pasta dishes. For dessert, there were at least 400 chocolate cookies made along with donated pies, cakes, brownies, and other goodies. There was also plenty of Peet’s Coffee, tea, apple juice, sparkling water and hot chocolate. In the donation area, the BHS Open Closet student club contributed clothing from their inventory. Many community members donated winter gear for giveaways and volunteers made a toiletry kit for each guest. For entertainment, the BHS Orchestra played as guests entered before giving way to Milton & the Innovators performing their Temptations style Motown hits. ​

All in all, it was a total team effort on the part of everyone in attendance to make this event successful. We surpassed our fundraising goal of $4,000 thanks to generous donors! The 400+ unique volunteers contributed at least 650 service hours to the event during the weekend.​ All leftover food was delivered to the Harrison House and Dorothy Day House. Thank you to Tom, Sydney, Cameron, Tashi, and Janice who fearlessly led the meal effort in the kitchen. The Alameda County Food Bank will receive a few bins of canned goods, too.​ Thank you also to a local bread company, the Berkeley Food Network, the Ecology Center, Avalos Farms of the Berkeley Farmer’s Market for donations of bread, herbs/spices, and flavorful ingredients for the meal. Thank you to Tiffani Augusta-Gaines and her mother’s workplace for arranging a huge donation of ravioli. ​The donated funds also allowed us to partner with Dignity on Wheels mobile laundry and shower services. Once again, we are greatly appreciative for the community support to keep up this event for the past several decades. Thank you!!!!

P.S. For those who contributed a dish, please pick up your containers by winter break from the leadership office. 

Thank you to the Berkeley Times for promoting and covering the Holiday Meal. photos by Berkeley Times

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We offer deep gratitude for your service to the Berkeley community.
And in reality there is more that needs to be done to solve or mitigate issues of housing, employment, and access to quality medical care. Don’t despair, get involved! Here are a few East Bay organizations that work with those in need and possible places for you to offer service:

Organization	Description	Phone	Website
Alameda Family Services DreamCatcher Youth Services 2325 Clement Avenue Suite A Alameda, CA 94501	DreamCatcher Youth Services has been the only safe landing for homeless and disconnected at risk youth in Alameda County who are between the ages of 13-18.	800.379.1114	http://www.alamedafs.org/dreamcatcher/
All Souls Episcopal Church	Meals & Rides program	510.848.1755	http://www.allsoulsparish.org/
All Souls Episcopal Church 2220 Cedar (@Spruce) Berkeley, CA	Meal Service 510.848.1755 2nd Sunday @ 4:00 pm	510.848.1755	http://www.allsoulsparish.org/
Berkeley Food and Housing Project 1901 Fairview Street Berkeley, CA	Berkeley Food & Housing Project works with people who are homeless to move them into affordable permanent housing as quickly as possible – and to help them remain housed. To facilitate this, we provide an extensive range of food, housing, and social support services at 6 sites over 3 counties – Alameda, Solano and Contra Costa. Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri* 3:30–4:45pm *A free spaghetti meal is provided by the Lutheran Church of the Cross on Wednesdays from 4:00–6:00pm.	510.649.4976	https://bfhp.org/
BOSS Multi-Agency Service Center 1931 Center Street Berkeley, CA	The mission of BOSS is to help homeless, poor, and disabled people achieve health and self-sufficiency, and to fight against the root causes of poverty and homelessness.	510.843.3700	https://self-sufficiency.org/
Dorothy Day House P.O. Box 12701 Berkeley, CA 94712	P.O. Box 12701 Berkeley, CA 94712	925.519.9881	www.dorothydayhouse.org
Dorothy Day House Community Meal 2138 Cedar St Berkeley, CA 94709	Our community breakfast is provided 6 days a week, year-round, at Christ Church of Berkeley, located at 2138 Cedar Street (at Walnut) in north Berkeley. Anyone in need of a hot breakfast can join us between 7 and 8 am.	925.519.9881	www.dorothydayhouse.org
First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley 2407 Dana Street Berkeley, CA 94704	Come be a part of God’s work in the world! Twice a month, the Street Meal serves nutritious hot meals to people in need in the Berkeley community. Volunteers are needed to help in the kitchen and greet the guests; contact Don Louie to sign up (information below). We are especially looking for people who can serve on a regular basis as assistant and lead cooks; to find out more about leading in the kitchen, contact Fran Sheppard at (510) 524-8003 or franshep@juno.com. Dates: 2nd & last Saturday of each month Street Meal Location: Gym (John Knox A), Westminster Hall Time: Volunteer between 2:00 & 7:00 pm: Set-up at 2:00 pm; Kitchen Crew Leads at 2:30 pm; Greeters and Hosts at 2:45 pm; Kitchen Crews at 3:00 pm. Dinner begins at 5:00 pm	510.848.6242	https://fpcberkeley.org/street-meal/
Free Clinic Berkeley Address: 2339 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704	The mission of the Berkeley Free Clinic is to empower individuals and communities by providing accessible, client-centered health services and information. Since the Clinic opened, there has been an ever-present, albeit dynamic, need for its services as social conditions have undergone shifts and changes.	510.548.2570 Clinic Phone: 800.6CLINIC	berkeleyfreeclinic.org/
Harrison House 711 Harrison St. (at 4th.) Berkeley, CA	You must be referred through the Berkeley Shelter Hotline at (866)-960-2132. Shelter is closed from 9am-5pm every day, open 24 hours for families. There is a separate wing for women and children.	510.525.4469	none
Night on the Streets Catholic Worker	In addition to weekly meals, NOSCW serves the neediest residents in the East Bay with an overnight storm shelter in winter (at the Dorothy Day House), pantry operation, soup nights, and a variety of other mail, legal, tax, and health services and other outreach that ranges from hospital and prison visits to advocacy for healthcare for the homeless.	N/A	https://sites.google.com/site/berkeleycatholicworker/
Online Homeless Resource webpage		none	http://homelessresource.net/berkeley
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 2300 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94704	Hot Meals for the Hungry On the third Saturday of each month, volunteers from St. Mark’s and the wider community cook for 120 guests. The volunteers work in two shifts. From 1:30-4 p.m. volunteers set tables, prepare and cook the meal, and prepare box lunches. From 4:30-6:30 p.m., volunteers serve the meal and clean up. All volunteers are welcome, including one-time or walk-in volunteers. Call (510) 848-5107 for further details or just show up and introduce yourself.	510.848.5107	https://stmarksberkeley.org/event/hot-meals-hungry/
United for Health – Suitcase Clinic (18-25 years old) 2300 Bancroft – St. Marks Church	The Suitcase Clinic is a humanitarian student organization and volunteer community offering free health and social services to underserved populations since 1989. Structured around the principles of public health, social welfare, community activism and empathy, the Suitcase Clinic currently operates three weekly multi-service drop-in centers in the city Berkeley: the General Clinic, the Women’s Clinic and the Youth Clinic.	510.643.6786	http://www.suitcaseclinic.org/partners/united_for_health-2/
Women’s Daytime Drop In Center 2218 Acton Street Berkeley, CA	The Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center offers free services to any homeless woman and her children. Mon – Fri 8 am – 4 pm	510.548.6933	womensdropin.org
WOMXN’s Clinic Address: 2236 Parker Street, Berkeley, CA 94704	This past summer, the Womxn’s Clinic relocated to LIFE Adventist Church. All womxn and children are welcome to receive our services, which include medical and professional services, nailpainting, childcare, and more.	510.269.7242 510.423.3659	https://www.suitcaseclinic.org/womxn-s-clinic?p=5948
Youth Emergency Assistance and Housing (YEAH!) 1744 University Avenue Lutheran Church of the Cross	Our mission is to support young adults (18-24) in Berkeley who are currently homeless. We provide basic necessities, offer case management and counseling, linkages to education, employment and housing, and opportunities for meaningful community involvement. Monday-Sunday 8 pm – 8 am. Hot meals, Showers, Pets Allowed	510.704.9867	yeah-berkeley.org/
Youth/ LGBTQ+ Clinic 2300 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94704	The Y/LGBTQ+ Clinic strives to provide culturally appropriate and accessible services to homeless and street-identified youth, which simultaneously increases their opportunities for positive social and physical well-being. The clinic space is open to those in their teens and twenties and is LGBTQ+ friendly.	510.423.3303	https://www.suitcaseclinic.org/youth-lgbtq-clinic

Mia Stein, Chief of Service, and her committee are organizing the winter Holiday Meal to prepare for this amazing event where 300-400 meals are served for the local unsheltered community There is a preparation and set-up shift on Friday, December 13th while the actual meal will be served on Saturday, December 14th from 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm. Our focus this year will be to gather as much warm clothing as possible for our attendees to choose from. In addition, we are hoping to raise enough funds to secure on-site laundry and shower services from a local non-profit!

Here is how you can help:

We have raised over $500 for our goal to reach $4,000 for the event. These funds offset staff costs, ingredients, supplies, decorations, and entertainment among other items. We are deeply appreciative of the many supporting donors who make the Holiday Meal possible. We accept CASH or CHECKS payable to “BHS ASB”.

Checks can be dropped off to Mr. Villavicencio’s mailbox or mailed directly to:

Berkeley High School

c/o Mr. Villavicencio BHS Holiday Meal  

1980 Allston Way

Berkeley, CA 94704

Fresh Food Drive

Please sign-up here to bring fresh food donations for the meal.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOOD CONTRIBUTION LIST

• Turkeys (at least 12 needed)

• Hams (at least 10 needed)

• Alternative meat options

• Desserts (Pumpkin and assorted pies, cookies)

• Bread (Rolls, loaves, Corn bread)

• Salads (Various salads w or w/o cheese, nuts, dressing) Yams/Sweet Potatoes/Mashed

• Potatoes

• Cheese

• Butter (3 pounds needed)

• Onions, Garlic, Spices, Herbs, and other assorted seasonings

• Any Fresh hot or cold dish that you can lovingly donate Fresh food donations can be delivered between 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm on Friday, December 13 or 8:00 am-12:00 pm of Saturday, December 14 to the main doors of the school at Milvia and Allston. There is a loading zone located here. Please indicate what time you would like deliver your donation.

Canned Foods Needed:

Please bring in amount of the following types of canned foods. Any extra Thanksgiving ingredients lying in your cabinets would make a great contribution to the meal. Please consider sending your student to school with a few cans to drop off at the bins located outside of the leadership office in the main building. The food is donated to the Alameda County Food Bank.

*If you have any questions please ask Mr. Villavicencio or Mia S. in the Leadership Office.

• Beans (Kidney, garbanzo, black, green, baked, refried) Corn

• Chili (Vegetarian, beef)

• Soup (Chicken Noodle)

• Cranberry Sauce

• Pumpkin Pie filling

• Tomato Sauce or Diced Tomatoes

• Pasta, Macaroni Noodles

• Cooking Oil (Olive oil or vegetable oil)

• Coffee, juice, tea, or other beverages

Warm Clothing & Toiletry drive will take place from now until December 15. With the winter season on it’s way we want to help the homeless community stay warm. We will have bins for donations placed throughout Berkeley High including near the Leadership Office and in the C-Gallery. We are asking people to donate new or gently used blankets and new toiletries including:

• Warm Clothing such as coats, jackets, socks or blankets
  
• Backpacks
• Toiletry (toothbrushes/toothpaste, soap, shampoo/conditioner, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, kleenex, disposable razors, lotion, shaving cream, and/or other similar products)

Volunteer Info

The volunteer list will be on SignUp Genius and be made available to volunteers in mid-November.

CLICK HERE FOR THE VOLUNTEER SIGN UP LIST

Here is an example of the shifts:

• FRIDAY FUNSTERS 4:00 – 8:00 pm. Please arrive at 4:00 pm and wait in the cafeteria for the orientation meeting.

• EARLY BIRDS 9:00 am – 12:00 pm.  Please arrive at 9:00 am and wait in the cafeteria for the orientation meeting. There may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.

• SUPER SERVERS: 12:00 – 2:00 pm & 2:00 – 4:00 pm.  Please arrive at 12:00 pm and wait in the by staircase to the Library for the orientation meeting. Please keep large bags and valuable items at home. There may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.

• TERRIFIC TRANSLATORS: When you arrive, please check in with Mr. V. He will provide further instructions and/or direct you to places of need. There may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.

• HOMESTRETCH HEROES: 3:00 – 5:00 pm Please arrive at 3:00 pm and check in with Mr. V or Mia S. We will assign clean up areas from there with most of the help being needed in the kitchen and moving stuff back to normal in the cafeteria. There may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.

• All volunteers should enter through the main doors at Milvia and Allston. There will be a sign-in sheet in the Leadership Office/Conference Room B which is important for students wishing to track their service hours. Once you sign-in, please wait in the cafeteria area until the volunteer orientation meeting begins. We will provide a snack for each shift, but please bring anything else you may need to feel comfortable. For Saturday, there may be parking available in the STAFF parking lot along Milvia.

Thank you so much for considering a contribution or for volunteering at the event.

Have a great day!

Berkeley Organizations that focus on Homelessness

Dorothy Day House

Berkeley Food and Housing Project

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Bonita House

Women’s Daytime Drop In

Project Night by Night*

B.O.S.S.

The following video and photo links demonstrate the magnitude and impact of the meal, if you have not been a part of it before.

• Berkeley High’s Holiday Dinner 2017 Photos:

• BHS Holiday Meal 2016 Photo’s

• BHS Holiday Meal 2015 Photo’s

• BHS Holiday Meal 2014 Photo’s

• BHS Holiday Meal 2013 Video

• BHS Holiday Meal 2012 Video

We are excited to announce the opening of the leadership applications for the 2019-20 school year. Whether you are interested in getting hands-on experience on policy making groups like the School Site Council and the School Board, or making fun, memorable events for your classmates on a Class teams, ASB Leadership offers a variety of ways for you to get more deeply involved in BHS.

Applications are open as of now and will come in a new format.

For the 2019-20 ASB Leadership teams, we will begin using online forms as the main way of accepting applications.

For more information on how to apply, please visit the Applications page of the BHS website.

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