CityServe of the Tri-Valley helps underserved individuals, primarily those who are low income, homeless, or destitute. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, the cities of Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin chose CityServe to administer emergency hotel placement for the medically at-risk population. The goal was to both protect that population from contracting Covid-19 as well prevent the spread of Covid-19 and was successful on both counts.

Similarly, CityServe is coordinating the Emergency Rental Assistance Program launched with the cities of Pleasanton and Dublin. The program provides rental support to families and individuals unable to pay rent due to a Covid-related job loss or other financial loss directly related to the pandemic. Under the program, grants of up to $2,500 for delinquent rent are available to eligible tenants to help keep them in their homes; payment goes directly to landlords. At the time of publication, CityServe had distributed $500,000 in grants on behalf of 178 households in only 12 weeks.

“Our primary focus is to mobilize mercy and compassion through community volunteers, street outreach efforts, and client-centered case management services,” says Christine Beitsch-Bahmani, who became the nonprofit’s CEO in September 2019. “This mobilization is designed to humanize human services as our staff and volunteers walk alongside the most vulnerable families and individuals in the Tri-Valley. Our goal is to both resource and motivate participants toward a future full of stability, self-efficacy, community, and sustainability.”

In addition to the sheltering program, during the pandemic CityServe has provided critical case management, street outreach, and volunteer services for Livermore, Pleasanton, and Dublin residents. The nonprofit partnered with local public health departments to provide two Covid-19 testing pop-up sites, assisted with the census count for the unsheltered population, provided volunteers for cooling center and water distribution sites, assisted with smoke and fire evacuations, and distributed more than 36,000 masks to 980 Tri-Valley households.

In December 2020, CityServe launched the ARCH pilot program to add career navigation services to its outreach and case management program. During daily street outreach and at weekly pop-up outreach events, a CityServe intern began assisting unsheltered individuals with building basic resumes, filling out online job applications, and exploring job boards. The identified barriers to successfully finding a job included access to a computer, having a phone for a potential employer to call, and knowing where to start looking for a job, according to Beitsch-Bahmani.

“We addressed this gap by working alongside each person with a computer, assisting them with getting a phone or setting up an email address,” she notes. “Over the last quarter, we have seen great progress, hope, job offers, and job placements. Filling this gap for unsheltered individuals is very important to their sustainability and for future housing placement.”

It is a good investment to have a career navigator assist participants with increasing their income, according to Beitsch-Bahmani, That allows caseworkers to simultaneously help their clients apply for permanent housing. “If we get additional funding for street outreach, we will continue this pilot program, which is our attempt to address the gap between being homeless and finding permanent housing.”

Established in 2009, CityServe was developed with funding and support from Tri-Valley churches seeking to serve the local community. In 2012 CityServe became an independent, official nonprofit organization becoming one of the most comprehensive resources for volunteer and donor opportunities. Employers willing to accept CityServe participants as apprentices or have open jobs are encouraged to email arch@cityservecares.org for details about the ARCH program.

For more information about CityServe, please visit cityservecares.org.

For more information about the Emergency Rental Assistance Program in English and Spanish, please visit cityservecares.org/renthelp.