Who would help you if you lost your job?

Most people don't know about the Bay Area Advertising Relief Committee. But you should - especially in today's uncertain economy. We've all been through the massive layoffs (many of us more than once) and we know the unemployment line is just one client loss away. But the folks at BAARC are here to help. And this is their story.

When is the last time you stopped and thought “what if I lost my job?”

Hey there Bay Area media industry professionals. Congrats on your many successes! However, when was the last time you took a second to actually ponder the “what if I lost my job” question? Yes, it’s pretty scary and may even seem arbitrary right now. Yet, it happens. Every day.

Blame it on the struggling economy, the continually changing media landscape, or perhaps on one of life’s tricky curveballs. Driven, proven Bay Area media folks constantly find themselves thrown from a thriving career into humbling unemployment.

The Bay Area Advertising Relief Committee (BAARC) helps these people. As you read this, we are providing critical aid to someone in the vast Bay Area media community. Many of our grant recipients over our 27+ years never thought they’d need our services. What’s worse? Many hadn’t, and still some today, haven’t heard of BAARC.

We provide crucial, immediate aid to keep recipients afloat while job searching. Last month alone, we covered food, utilities, rent, gas cards and interview transportation needs for our current cases. Historically, we’ve stepped in and negotiated lower hospital bills for a heart attack victim; provided new clothing and a bed for a person who lost everything in a fire; funded after school care for an individual with ALS, and arranged low-cost temporary hotel rooms… just a few examples of an endless list. We’ve even provided a larger in-home hospital bed for a ski-accident victim so they could sleep next to their spouse.

BAARC’s services don’t stop with this essential financial aid, however. We also offer media mentoring programs, job preparedness coaching, and day-in-the-life learning sessions. And who could forget our legendary fundraising parties?

We are always happy and eager to help our grant recipients in whatever way we can. To hear how our services impact lives is incredibly moving. Take the following snippet from a recent thank you letter sent to a BAARC case worker:

“One of my sweetest moments of the last many days was opening an envelope dropped by my house that had grocery and gas cards inside. As the cards slipped into my hand, my heart felt a little pang, ‘somebody cares about me. They don't know me, but they cared enough to help me out.'… The financial assistance is a blessing, but the feeling that people care enough to have my back, even if it's just a little bit, is very special too."

This letter and the others like it speak to our core driving factor: we truly want and enjoy helping our recipients build bridges toward a brighter tomorrow.

2011 promises to see fresh, exceptional things from BAARC. We hope you’ll get involved, spread the word and of course, let us know if you or a peer needs our help.

Don’t forget to Like us on Facebook; follow us on Twitter; and check out baarc.com for more information!

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Big thanks to Kate Stoodley, BAARC Board Member, for penning this article.