Mission & History

The Pacific Center is an award winning, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community center based in Berkeley, CA serving the East Bay and Greater Bay Area. Through professional counseling, groups, community events, and advocacy, Pacific Center works to foster and enhance the well-being and self-respect of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. 

Founded in 1973 in response to a brutal gay bashing incident in Oakland, the Pacific Center is the oldest LGBT community center in the Bay Area and the third oldest in the United States. Over the past 35 years, Pacific Center has worked with tens of thousands of diverse LGBT people providing mental health and wellness services.  Pacific Center has continually demonstrated innovation and leadership in responding to homophobia and the AIDS epidemic, and is committed to serving all parts of our diverse LGBT community.  

Each year, nearly 4,000 people participate in our programs and services with 200 people calling or walking through our doors each week.  Our programs include mental health counseling, HIV services and support, youth development, and peer based education and support.  Pacific Center works every day to foster and enhance the well-being and self-respect of our LGBT community. 

Business Hours:

The Pacific Center is open from 9am-6pm Monday through Friday and is closed Saturday and Sunday. (even though staff is here til 8pm or we maybe open earlier that 9am.)

Mental Health Clinic Hours:

The Pacific Center Mental Health Clinic is open by appt from 10am - 8pm Monday through Friday. (again even though these hours may flex with the particular needs of a client, this is the official publicly listed hours.)

Community Drop-in Hours:

The Pacific Center's Community Drop-in hours are from 4pm - 8pm Monday through Friday. (We are shortening these hours both with winter on it way and because few people "just stop by" between 8pm and 10pm.  This will not affect the groups that meet here later than 8pm, but will allow our front desk staff to leave earlier on the nights when no groups are meeting.)

Staff & Board

Staff
   Leslie Ewing
   Executive Director

   Join Our Team!
   Clinic Director

   Aaron Testard, MFT
   Clinic Program Manager

   Mario Balcita
   Youth Program Manager

   eddie gesso
   Operations / Clinic Administrator

   Jan Herzog
   Bookkeeper


Board
   Robert Hopcke, MFT, President
   Antonio Salas, Vice-President
   Shannon Brueckner, MFT, Treasurer
   Phil Evans, MFT, Secretary

Members-at-Large
   Jim Hodgkins
   Sue Kramer, LCSW, MPH
   Sheila O'Rourke
   Christopher Ruetz

Newsletters

Click to keep up with Pacific Center by reading our most recent newsletter. Back issues are also available. And sign up to receive your own copy in the future.


At The Pacific Center
we are building a strong and vibrant lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in the East Bay and beyond.

Join us!
Visit our Center in Berkeley, CA and enjoy your home for the East Bay lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

2712 Telegraph
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 548-8283
Mon - Fri, 4 pm - 8 pm
Copyright, 2006
The Pacific Center