Central Connecticut Coast YMCA

The Alpha Community Services YMCA, a Bridgeport area pioneer in providing services dedicated to the homeless, has been a branch of the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA since 1992. As part of the Y, Alpha Community Services has grown and expanded its services, striving to provide not just temporary shelter but also a path to a better life for those experiencing homelessness. We manage the largest family emergency shelter in Connecticut and provide supportive services to over 400 clients each year.

Business Office Hours Monday – Friday: 9:00 am-5:00 pm

Business Office Address & Phone 387 Clinton Avenue Bridgeport, CT 06605 P 203 366 2809 Get Driving Directions »

Alpha Community Services YMCA offers services to clients referred by Connecticut’s statewide system for addressing chronic homelessness, the Coordinated Access Network (CAN). Through CAN referrals, Alpha Community Services provides Family Navigation; Emergency Shelter focused on families; Permanent Supportive Housing; Supportive Services to Veteran Families and also has been instrumental in creating and sustaining the Bridgeport Housing First Collaborative. All Alpha CSY services include Case Management enriched through partnerships with a variety of community organizations. Alpha CSY provides specialized services to clients facing housing insecurity, as such, complies with all applicable privacy and confidentiality standards, including but not limited to, those of HUD, DOH, DMHAS, and HMIS.

If you are currently homeless and seeking services, please call 2-1-1.

Case Management

Alpha Community Services YMCA provides case management services to all its clients. Case Managers provide support and crisis intervention for the clients. They link residents, both adult and youth, to mental health, substance abuse, employment, medical resources, educational opportunities and other services in the community. Case Managers assist families in the path of self-sufficiency.

In addition to offering support services through the case management model, ACS Y has developed its own programs for its clients: Workshops for Effective Parenting Skills, STD/HIV prevention, Dental Hygiene, Health and Wellness, Job Readiness, Eviction Prevention, and Financial Planning, among others.

Some of the activities for children include Summer Camp, Safety Around Water, swimming at the Y, arts and crafts activities, educational workshops, Read Across America day, Homework Assistance and Mentoring Programs.

387 Clinton Avenue serves as the Alpha Community Services YMCA (ACS-Y) Administrative Office.  Located in the West End of Bridgeport, the three-story building was built in 1895.  Case management and client group sessions supported by grants and the ACS-Y Annual Campaign are also conducted at this site.

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Forever in Service

 

Since March, the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA has collected almost 10,000 pounds of food for over 25 local food pantries to feed our community members facing food insecurity – one of our community’s most critical needs.

Over 56, YMCA staff and Board Volunteers have participated in over nineteen Food Distribution Events to support the efforts of our community partners.

Our hunger relief efforts have grown leaps and bounds in the last nine months and will continue as long as there is a need among our neighbors and community members.

You can help us provide hunger relief in our community.

Be involved with us.

Join us for our Days of Service – October 25-November 14, 2020.

Engage along side us to help our community. Together we can make a difference.

Donate a non-perishable food item on Saturday, November 14. Our goal is to collect over 500 pounds of non-perishable food and household staples at each Y. That’s a total of 3,500 pounds! Every canned good and toilet paper roll counts. Collection points are:

• Fairfield Y, 9am-2pm. Non-perishable food donations will help support the efforts of Operation Hope.
• Hamden/North Haven Y and New Haven YMCA Youth Center, 9am-1pm. Non-perishables will be collected at the Keefe Community Center, 11 Pine Street, Hamden. We are helping support the Keefe Community Center Food Pantry.
• Lakewood-Trumbull Y, 9am-12pm. Non-perishable food donations and household cleaning supplies are being collected for the Monroe and Trumbull Food Pantries.
• Soundview Family Y, 7am-4pm. We are collecting items for the Community Dining Room, serving south-central Connecticut from East Haven to Old Saybrook. Click requested Food Drive items.
• Stratford Y, 10am-1pm. Food collected will be donated to the food pantries at the Sterling House Community Center and the Stratford South End Community Center.
• Woodruff Family Y, 9am-noon. We are collecting the items on this list for the Milford Beth-el Center.

Volunteer! Work beside us and other community supporters. Sign up to volunteer for a safe, socially distanced volunteer shift at one many Food Distribution Events. There may be one where you and your family live. We hope to have a YMCA presence at each event on this list! Volunteer groups welcome! Click for Volunteer Opportunities.

Participate

• Lakewood-Trumbull Y, now-October 31. We are accepting food donations for the local food pantries in Trumbull and Monroe.
• Lakewood-Trumbull Y, now-October 31. To help our sister Y, Alpha Community Services YMCA, we are collecting new t-shirts in all sizes. Alpha Community Services Y in Bridgeport manages the largest family emergency shelter in Connecticut and provides supportive services to over 400 homeless clients each year.
• Lakewood-Trumbull Y, November 9-14. We are collecting non-perishable food and household supplies for the Monroe Food Pantry and the Trumbull Food Pantry. Click for a list of what they’re requesting.
• Soundview Family Y, October 19-22. We are collecting non-perishable food donations to support the Branford Food Pantry.
• Soundview Family Y, November 9-12. The Y is assisting the North Branford Food Pantry by collecting food donations.
• Stratford Y, November 2-12. We will be collecting non-perishable food items in the lobby of the Y. Food collected will be donated to the food pantries at the Sterling House Community Center and the Stratford South End Community Center.
• Valley Y and Valley Y Child Care Center, November 2-13, is holding a school supply drive to benefit the Ansonia and Derby School Systems.
• Woodruff Family Y, now-October 31. Let’s stock our Purple Pantry! Collecting non perishable foods and household supplies.
• Woodruff Family Y, now-October 31. Diaper drive. Collecting new diapers for the United Way of Milford’s diaper bank.
• Woodruff Family Y, November 9-14 for the benefit of the Milford Beth-el Center.

Support! Make an on-line donation to support this vital work so that the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA can help serve those in our community who needs us most. Our goal is to raise at least $3,500 during our Days of Service. Every dollar counts!

The Y. For a Better Us.

Forever Grateful

Thank you for supporting our Days of Service!

October 19: The Valley Y was fortunate to spend a couple hours giving back to our community, helping with the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program, sponsored by TEAM, Inc. Along with TEAM, the Y, State Rep. Kara Rochelle, State Senator George Logan (Y Volunteer) and other community leaders…nearly 600 boxes went to families in the Greater Valley! Do good, feel good!

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