FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Advisory
Homelessness Advocacy Legend Rev. Andy Bales Joins Bay Area Rescue Mission as BARM Champion & Director of Advancement
RICHMOND, CA — July 22, 2026 — The Bay Area Rescue Mission proudly announces that Rev. Andy Bales, widely recognized as a national legend in the fight against homelessness, has officially joined the organization as BARM Champion & Director of Advancement to advance its regional mission and elevate public awareness of its life-changing work.
Bales brings over three decades of gritty, front-line experience to the Bay Area. He famously served for 20 years as the President and CEO of the Union Rescue Mission on Los Angeles’ Skid Row, where he pioneered comprehensive, faith-based recovery models and expanded critical emergency shelters. In his new role as BARM Champion & Director of Advancement, Bales will champion the Bay Area Rescue Mission’s efforts to provide hope, rehabilitation, and support to individuals suffering from poverty and displacement.
Driving Awareness and Strategic Growth
The homelessness crisis in the Bay Area demands relentless leadership and proven strategies. Bales’ arrival signals a bold chapter for the Bay Area Rescue Mission as it scales its holistic recovery services.
As Director of Advancement, Bales will focus heavily on:
- Amplifying the Message: Raising regional awareness about the mission’s critical safety net services (food, clothing, and shelter), counseling hub, and its highly successful, long-term residential and job-training programs.
- Breaking Stigmas: Shifting public perception to emphasize the inherent dignity, value, and potential of every unhoused individual.
- Mobilizing Support: Igniting community partnerships, volunteer engagement, and donor networks across the Bay Area.
Quotes:
“We are incredibly honored to welcome Rev. Andy Bales to our team as BARM Champion & Director of Advancement,” proclaims Bram Begonia, CEO/President at the Bay Area Rescue Mission. “Andy is a leader of unmatched courage and compassion, a man who has quite literally sacrificed his own health to serve the vulnerable. His deep expertise in faith-based recovery and his powerful voice will be invaluable as we spread the word about the miraculous, life-transforming work happening inside our doors every single day.”
“I have spent my life working to ensure that our precious brothers and sisters are not left forgotten on the streets,” said Rev. Andy Bales. “The Bay Area Rescue Mission does something extraordinary—they don’t just hand out temporary fixes; they offer a true path to recovery, restoration, and independent living. I am eager to help amplify this mission across the Bay Area as Director of Advancement and show our communities the beautiful transformations taking place here.”
About Andy Bales
Rev. Andy Bales is an ordained minister and a renowned champion for the destitute. During his twenty-year tenure in Los Angeles, he successfully guided emergency shelters through severe economic recessions and global pandemics, while establishing state-of-the-art innovative transitional housing centers for women and children. He has been featured prominently on national broadcasts, including 60 Minutes and NBC’s Dateline, for his uncompromising dedication to the unhoused community.
About the Bay Area Rescue Mission
The Bay Area Rescue Mission is a Christ-centered nonprofit organization dedicated to providing hope through immediate food, clothing, and clean emergency shelter, as well as long-term addiction recovery, job-skills training, and hope through their holistic program (mind, body, faith) to men, women, and families. By delivering wraparound support, the Mission provides the tools individuals need to move from crisis to a life of lasting stability and purpose.
Community members can learn how to support BARM by visiting bayarearescue.org.
Media Contact
Name: Bram Begonia
Title: CEO/President
Organization: Bay Area Rescue Mission
Email: bram@bayarearescue.org
Phone: 808.347.8177
Website: bayarearescue.org
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