BAGC EMPOWERS GIRLS TO SHATTER GLASS CEILINGS AND ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE
Bay Area Girls Club has been serving girls ages 5-18 in West Contra Costa County for the past 47 years as a safe place for them to be authentic and realize their greatest potential. Our core values are based in our strong belief in the inherent potential of each individual girl, and the desire to provide a safe, nurturing environment for girls to foster self-confidence and independence.
BAGC provides West Contra Costa girls opportunities for educational, vocational, emotional, and social growth through targeted, needs-based programs and services.
BAGC’s goal is to address gender and racial inequity for girls of color. Despite our country’s progress on these issues, a profound disparity still exists for girls of color around educational and vocational programs and/or training opportunities as evidenced by the make-up of the girls we serve: 45% African American, 30% Latino, 15% Asian, 2% White, and 8% Other/Multi-Ethnic Minority.
Through innovative educational and employability training programs, BAGC imparts motivation and inspiration, and provides the assistance and skills to transition to college and/or succeed in today’s workplace.
Richmond’s highly condensed urban backdrop places girls of color at higher risk of dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, engaging in gangs, drugs, and criminal behavior, suffering from mental health disorders, being bullied, and suicide. BAGC’s primary goal is to offer girls an alternative to those scenarios through empowerment, coaching, and training.
Where It Started
BAGC was founded in 1975 by a group of Richmond women to create a safe and supportive “home-away-from-home” for girls. Through spaghetti dinners and bake sales they established the Richmond Girls Club. The club soon became an endeared and respected organization within the community. Mrs. Stevanna Herron, one of the organization’s founding members, had the forward-thinking vision to purchase the building that housed the club, which was then a beauty salon. With support from private and corporate donors, the property was converted to a multi-use center that provided social and educational programs and services for girls.
In 1985 the Richmond Girls Club became an affiliate of the national organization, Girls Inc., and the name was officially changed to Girls Inc. of West Contra Costa County. The long and productive affiliation with Girls Inc. ended in 2020.
Committed to delivering vital programs and services to girls throughout West Contra Costa County, the organization renamed itself Bay Area Girls Club (BAGC) and beginning in August 2020 rebuilt the ground up. BAGC formed a partnership with the renowned Multicultural Bookstore who was displaced during COVID. The bookstore enhanced BAGC’s program offerings with the addition of a Book Club and numerous ongoing literacy-based events and activities for elementary age children.
Where We Are Going
BAGC fills a critical niche for girls in West Contra Costa County. The girls, the community, and the school districts, have come to depend on BAGC to fill program/service gaps. Despite our country/state/city’s challenges during the past few years, BAGC is committed to staying the course to uplift girls to be gamechangers for the future through innovative, impassioned programming. We hope you’ll join us!