Our Story
A community center has been missing from this area for far too long.
For years, families across the East Bay have traveled long distances to find a masjid or community space that feels like home. There is no masjid within a 20-minute radius of this corridor and no community center within a 40-minute radius — a gap that has left a generation of youth, parents, and elders without a central place to pray, learn, gather, and grow together.
A true community center is more than a prayer hall. It is a beacon of light in the neighborhood — a place where children run between classrooms, where young professionals find mentorship, where families celebrate milestones, and where neighbors of every background are welcomed with warmth and dignity.
That is the vision behind MAS East Bay: a community-driven center that offers co-working spaces, youth mentorship, Quran classes, family-centered programming, and a permanent home for service and worship.
When the church at 1963 Carlson Blvd in Richmond came on the market, it caught the attention of multiple buyers — including another church. The listing agent wanted to sell it to that other church.
But the sellers, guided by their own conscience and values, made a different choice. They are pro minority rights and pro Palestinian, and they wanted this building to go to a community that would continue its legacy of welcome, service, and justice. They chose MAS East Bay.
“We want this place to keep serving the community — to keep being a light in this neighborhood.”
Their trust in us is both a gift and a responsibility. The building is $1,600,000, and a major donor has already stepped forward with a $1,000,000 halal loan. Together with $180,000 in past community giving, we have secured a strong foundation. We have successfully closed on the property. Our next phase focuses on $600,000 for renovations and hiring staff, as part of the overall $2,200,000 project.