18 Aug Hundreds Attend Bay Point’s First Community Resource Fair

A fair was held Saturday at the Ambrose Community Center to bring resources to Bay Point, which as an unincorporated community, does not receive the same funding or services as nearby incorporated cities like Antioch and Pittsburg.

Story and photos by Malcolm Marshall

Hundreds of Bay Point families came out Saturday to the Ambrose Community Center for the inaugural Bay Point Community Resource Fair, an event designed to connect residents with free services, critical resources and a sense of community.

Contra Costa County Supervisor Shanelle Scales-Preston hosted the fair in partnership with the Ambrose Recreation and Park District and Marathon Petroleum. More than 50 local organizations participated, with offerings including groceries, school supplies, workforce development support, health services and youth programming.

“This is our first Bay Point Resource Fair,” said Scales-Preston, adding that the reason was simple: “Because it’s needed.”

She said the idea for the event came from a recent conversation with teens at the Ambrose Teen Center, who told her they felt like their community didn’t have the same access to services as others.

“That was about two months ago,” she said. “For me, it was like, that’s something I can do: put on an event and bring the resources to them to make sure they have the school supplies.”

Bay Point, once known as West Pittsburg, is an unincorporated community in Contra Costa’s District 5. That means it doesn’t receive the same funding or services as nearby incorporated cities like Pittsburg or Antioch. Scales-Preston said that disparity is evident in many ways, among them school options, grocery stores, parks and other community amenities.

“We don’t have a high school here. We don’t have big-name grocery stores or a wide range of restaurants. People often have to leave Bay Point to get what they need,” she said. “So today is about bringing those services here and making sure people feel supported.”

 

Throughout the day, families lined up for free backpacks provided by Marathon Petroleum. Others picked up groceries provided by the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano, Loaves and Fishes and White Pony Express. Barbers gave free haircuts, and community organizations shared information about CalFresh, health and wellness services, educational programs and more.

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Children played in jump houses while DJ Eduardo Torres played music and prizes were raffled off. The Bay Point Library also gave kids free books that were selected to reflect the diversity of the community.

 

“We have our library out here giving books out, and not just any books, but making sure we give books out to our young people that reflects them and pictures of them that represent this community here in Bay Point,” said Scales-Preston.

The event also offered a look ahead to Bay Point’s future.

 

Susan Hildreth, representing the Library Foundation of Contra Costa County, shared updates on a new library planned for the area. It will be part of a mixed-use development near the BART station across from Safeway. The facility will include low-income housing, and retail and commercial space. According to Hildreth, the project is expected to break ground in 2026 and open in summer 2029.

Among the fair’s attendees was 19-year-old Sean Gutierrez, a Bay Point native and second-year student at Los Medanos College. He’s running for student outreach ambassador and says he wants to increase community service opportunities for honor students.

 

“Service really builds character and also helps out the local community,” Gutierrez said.

He learned about the event from a flyer at a local grocery store.

“I thought, why not? It’s free, and I might learn something,” he said. “We are a quiet community, but there are hidden gems here, like this fair.”

Michelle Moorhead, a Bay Point resident and community health advocate for the Center for Human Development and its African American Wellness Program, staffed a table at the event. She said the organization focuses on mental health, emotional wellness and self-care. It also offers walking groups and addresses healthy eating challenges, including cooking demos.

 

“I’ve lived in Antioch, in Pittsburg, and now I live in Bay Point,” Moorhead said. “I think Bay Point gets forgotten sometimes because people tend to focus more on Pittsburg. I’ve been living here for four years. I like the neighborhood, the little stores where you get to know the person who owns it. Right here at the Ambrose Community Center, they have a youth academy, and I’ve watched some of these kids grow up.”

Scales-Preston called the event a “huge success with over 500 people in attendance, including over 50 community-based organizations, nonprofits and county services providing resources to the community.”

She said the Bay Point Resource Fair would be an annual event.

“We’re trying to make sure we bring these services to them,” she said, “so that they can feel the love.”