Kern Homeless issues and Flood Ministry's service
May 04, 2022 6:45 AM
Jim Wheeler
Kern Homeless issues and Flood Ministry's service

Flood Ministry is one of the partners with the City for the Bakersfield Navigation Center.

Jim has over 14 years-experience working on issues related to homelessness, poverty, food insecurity and support for low-income families.

He is a graduate of Fresno Pacific University, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and California State University, Bakersfield where he received a Master’s in Public Administration.

Jim currently serves as the Executive Director of Flood Bakersfield Ministries, Inc. Flood Bakersfield is a 501(c)(3) non-profit social service agency formed in 2008 dedicated to intervening in the lives of the deeply impoverished to help them navigate available community resources to improve their quality of life. Flood has identified housing stability as primary to achieving this goal, and emphasizes reaching out to the most vulnerable homeless people as its priority. Flood has extensive experience providing street outreach and engagement, having offered this service in Bakersfield since 2011 and in rural county areas since 2013.

Other programs and services that Flood offers to homeless and at-risk people include: intake and assessment; case management, including benefits acquisition and linkage with health treatment and other community supports; housing placement and stabilization; aftercare; life skills training; and basic human necessities, including food, clothing and hygiene. Flood’s housing placement and stabilization program helps clients obtain affordable housing then monitors them on a regular and as needed basis for up to two years.

Prior to Jim’s position with Flood he served as the Homeless Services Manager for the County of Orange where he helped the County develop a systemic response to the homeless crisis there.

Jim is familiar with the issues surrounding homelessness in Bakersfield and Kern County and is committed to making a difference. Jim Currently serves on the Executive Board for the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative and previously served for three years as the Chairman of the Governing Board.

Jim has taught at the University level, serving as an Adjunct in the Fresno Pacific University School of Business. He has also lectured at California State University, Bakersfield on such issues as homelessness, poverty and food insecurity.