Youth Emergency Assistance Hostel providing shelter to homeless streetkids in Berkeley, California and the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area since 2002 pbj for homeless youth toothbrush for homeless youth socks for homeless youth place to sleep for homeless youth pets for homeless youth

Youth Emergency Assistance Hostel

Berkeley, California
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is a community of more than 50 local citizens, students, working and retired people, and social service professionals working to develop a new model to prevent adult homelessness by addressing the issues of youth homelessness. We're actively involved with and supported by the Mayor and City Council of Berkeley, the Berkeley Homeless Commission as well as local youth agencies.

Our Leadership Team

Sharon Hawkins Leyden, LCSW
The executive director and one of 's founders, Sharon has worked for the past 15 years with low-income families and youth around the issues of poverty, abuse and neglect, substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness.

Seth Allingham
Seth is 's director of operations. He is a graduate of Pepperdine University and has worked for non-profits in L.A., San Diego, Latin America, and now Berkeley. Seth grew up and still resides across the Bay in Marin County.

Adrianne Bank, PhD
A professional educator and management consultant for non-profit organizations for 25 years, Adrianne is one of 's founders.

Bonnie Bell, MA, M.Div.
A former social worker and mental health counselor, Bonnie is a career coach and life planning consultant with Bell Investment Advisors, Inc. She is the former board president of the Berkeley Ecumenical Chaplaincy to the Homeless.

Terrie Fletcher
Terrie is the case manager and supervisor for and a graduate student at Holy Names College.

Susan Halpern, MSW
A writer, Susan previously worked as a social worker with homeless mentally-ill adults in New York City.

Sarah Isakson, MDiv
The pastor of the Lutheran Church of the Cross whose congregation provides the facility for the shelter, Sarah is one of 's founders.

Board member

Natalie Leimkuhler, MA
Photographer and long time volunteer with homeless youth in Berkeley, Natalie is one of 's founders.

Brigitte McKenzie
A teacher recently retired to Berkeley after 30 years of teaching around the world, Brigitte is a tutor in Richmond schools.

Natalie Peterson, MSW
Natalie is a former social service agency administrator and consultant to non-profit organizations.

Sarah Pesola
A recent graduate of Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Sarah is serving as the assistant to the executive director and shelter manager.

Brooke Ransom
The volunteer coordinator for , Brooke graduated from Indiana University in 2001 and is currently enrolled in the MFT program at John F. Kennedy University.

Barbara Weiss, MSW
Barbara is a social worker and teacher in planning and administration who served for many years on the faculty of the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley.

Moe Wright
Moe is the owner of BBI Construction in Oakland, a council member of the First Congregational Church of Berkeley and a founding board member of the Berkeley Ecumenical Chaplaincy to the Homeless.