ABOUT

Mission

GTCDC’s Mission is to preserve, strengthen, and empower our families, households, residents and community by increasing economic development; promoting safe and healthy neighborhoods, providing high-quality and well-maintained affordable housing and encouraging healthy lifestyles.

History

Communities can be transformed from violent battle zones to peaceful neighborhoods where children can safely play when the residents are equipped and empowered to change their circumstances.

In 1992, Bishop J.W. Macklin, Pastor of Glad Tidings, Church of God in Christ, declared war on drugs, crime and poverty that seized the South Hayward community surrounding his church.

His vision was to turn South Hayward into a model community where families could thrive. Fixed on making a change, he organized Glad Tidings Community Development Corporation (GTCDC) a 501c3 nonprofit corporation to fight on the frontlines to save this community in crisis.

GTCDC started by cleaning up the general area and partnered with the Hayward Police Department, by engaging in community policing programs that was responsible for dramatically decreasing crime in the community.

Once the general environment was changed for the better, GTCDC launched several grassroots campaigns and built strategic alliances with other agencies and organizations to address major issues that impacted the residents including joblessness and lack of education.

For almost two decades, GTCDC has been providing residents with crucial services including workforce development, health, wellness, education, youth services, economic development and affordable housing.

Glad Tidings Community Development Corporation - © - 2022

Benita A. McLarin

Board Director

Prior to assuming her current role as Director, Department of Health and Human Services for the County of Marin, in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ms. McLarin served as the Chief Operating Officer for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (Hospitals and Clinics) in San Jose, California for over five years.

Previous to that Ms. McLarin served as Vice President, Ambulatory Health Care Services for

Alameda Health System and served in senior positions for Sonoma County Department of Health Services and Solano County Health and Social Services Department.  Ms. McLarin also served over twenty years on active duty as a Medical Service Corps Officer with the United States Army which included several overseas assignments to Germany and Korea and deployments to Honduras, Bosnia and to Saudi Arabia for the first Gulf War. Ms. McLarin is a combat veteran and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Ms. McLarin received her Master of Science degree in health policy and management from Harvard University School of Public Health, her Master of Health Administration degree from Chapman University and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Ms. McLarin is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is also a member of the American Public Health Association and a lifetime member of the Association of the United States Army. She is a graduate fellow of the California Health Leadership College and a graduate of the Boston- based Disparities Leadership Program.

Ms. McLarin enjoys mentoring and supporting young people and early careerists.  She is a board member and mentor with the Bay-Area iMentor program.   Ms. McLarin also enjoys working in the community and is a board member of the Glad Tidings Community Development Corporation and is a coordinator in her church community outreach program.