Specialties
Banyan House - 8 units of transitional housing for homeless families, who pay 30% of their adjusted income as rent and may stay for up to 10 months; average stay is 4-5 months
History
Established in 1986.
FESCO was founded in 1986 by a coalition of area churches/community members to address their concerns about the growing number of families falling into homelessness in Mid-Alameda County. In its founding documents, special emphasis was placed on keeping families together during their period of homelessness. Thus, in addition to serving single mothers with children, FESCO serves single fathers with children, two-parent families with children, and families that include a teenage boy. FESCO is currently comprised of 22 churches and several community members in the Cities of San Leandro, Hayward, Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and Union City.
Meet the Manager: Gay M.
Gay is the executive director of FESCO. Previously, Ms. McDaniel served as the director of social services for Abode Services, a provider of supportive housing for very-low-income and disabled individuals and families in Alameda, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. Prior to joining Abode Services, Ms. McDaniel was executive director of Su Casa, a domestic violence prevention/intervention organization in Southern California. She also worked for United Way of Greater Los Angeles as the major gifts team manager. Ms. McDaniel earned a bachelor's degree in social work from Texas Woman's University and a master of social work at the University of Houston. She also holds a certificate of nonprofit management from California State University at Los Angeles. Ms. McDaniel has served in the local community in volunteer capacities as co-chair of the board of HERS Breast Cancer Foundation, on the FEMA Alameda County Local Board, and on the Community Engagement & Advisory Committee for the City of