Brenda Jean's Sober Living Facility

Brenda Jean's Sober Living Facility primary mission is to get male residents back on their feet. This is done with love and compassion! Who are we to judge someone who struggles with substance abuse, incarceration, homelessness, or mental health. Our mission is to assist each resident in working through their own personal challenges to let them know that their life still has a purpose. As a result, Brenda Jean's Food Pantry, Brenda Jean's Soup Kitchen, and Brenda Jean's Internship Program was created to help our community. Our residents help Brenda Jean's tackle food insecurity in Kern County by either assisting with our Weekly Food Pantry and or our monthly Soup Kitchen.

In addition, our residents help the CSUB interns graduate by participating in peer led group activities. Our CSUB interns eventually goes on to obtain employment at Kern County Sheriff, Mental Health, CAPK, School Districts, Social Workers, and Private Practice. Some of the Brenda Jean's Interns go off to graduate school. It means a lot to the residents when a former College Intern calls, writes us, or comes by to check up on us. The Brenda Jean's Internship Program focuses on Substance Abuse, Life Skills, Social Skills, and Emotions. This is a prerequisite prior to any resident working in either Brenda Jean's Food Pantry or Brenda Jean's Soup Kitchen.

You see, we have been doing our food programs since 2019! There is a big difference between pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post pandemic. Pre-Pandemic it was every easy and cheap for me, Dr. Bryan Bowens just to fund the entire program because there were so many food donations from big box grocery stores and the local farms. During the pandemic, so much was given to us as the 1,200 face masks that we given out over 6 months (60,000 shown in picture). Now post pandemic, food donations are down and inflation has cause food, gas, and insurance prices to increase.

In addition due to COVID-Protocol it cost more to run both the Brenda Jean's Soup Kitchen and the Brenda Jean's Food Pantry. For instance, in the Soup Kitchen we use to use regular paper plates and that was fine, however now we must use the to-go plates with the lids and we seal them with scotch tape. We went from being a traditional Soup Kitchen to becoming Uber Eats Delivery, because we have to drive and deliver the hot plates. The sad reality is that we no longer have to look hard to find homeless individuals. 

No matter what we will serve our community! I might not be able to serve 400 hot meals in 4 hours in the pre-pandemic days, but Brenda Jean's Soup Kitchen can do something even if it is only serving 25 hot meals, we will still do it. Due to the pandemic, our Food Pantry numbers have increased and we have the luxury of being mobile with both the Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry with the box truck. We do not have a grant and we will be sustainable with or without a grant because of the Brenda Jean's Board Members and myself make sure that we always have what we need to operate!

So please read our Google Reviews and check out our website at www.brendajeans.org. We welcome any support even if it is at the $7 level, because even our working residents would donate to our mission in helping tackle food insecurity. Please feel free to email me at bryan.bowens@brendajeans.org if you have any questions or concerns. Drive by our location at 2015 Brundage Lane, Bakersfield, CA 93304. We are always working on improving our facility and program for the residents. Thank you for your time.

We still operate our Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, times are very rough but Brenda Jean's is managing to make it happen. So thank you for your support!