Tri-Valley Sai Center started as Sri Sathya Sai Study Group of Benicia in 1987, and upon Swami’s blessings in 1988 became SSSCenter of Benicia. The center held weekly meetings with rigor and devotional fervor in an extremely disciplined atmosphere. Families from far away places (6 different Bay Area area codes) congregated every Sunday to spend most of the day together in Satsang. Meetings were held in devotees’ homes that rotated somewhat weekly. The center eventually got renamed as SSSC Pleasanton where it continued till 2014, when it became known as Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Tri-Valley. 

The origins of formation of the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Benicia date back to around 1985 when a dedicated group of Sai devotees were keen on having their children learn the spiritual principles and human values as taught in the Balvikas program of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization.  The group met on Sunday morning at the homes of devotees alternatively at Pittsburg, Concord, and Benicia.

In 1987 the group expanded its activities to include Study Circle for adults while the children were engaged in the Balvikas program and hence called itself the Sri Sathya Sai Study Group of Benicia.  A number of devotees felt that it is time to become a Center, but a few were not ready to take the plunge since becoming a Center requires a level of commitment and dedication. Everyone agreed that if Swami blesses us to become a Center that we would, and so in an interview in 1988 upon seeking Swami’s guidance we received Swami’s blessings to form a Center. Having received Swami’s blessings, the Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Benicia was born. Krishna and Prasuna Reddy offered their home in Benicia to be the primary meeting place while still retaining the character of rotating the meeting once-a-month at one of the member devotees’ homes. In the same year Swami also blessed the Center by creating a small idol of Sri Shiridi Sai Baba with express directive to keep it in the new Mandir.

In 1989, the Center was officially inaugurated by renowned devotees late Sri Charles and Smt Faith Penn.  And, for the next 9 years it continued operating in earnest all the three wings of the Center, and became recognized in the Region for its strong Balvikas (SSE) program, and attracted devotees from nearly 80 miles range.  Over the years the Center invited many notable Sai devotees and senior leader of the Sai Organization to speak at the Center.  The Center has published many useful publications on selected topics of Swami’s teachings; and developed a bhajan book entitled “Bhajanavali”.  A monthly newsletter was distributed that detailed the calendar of events for the month, and a selection from Swami’s teachings was included.

The Center continued its operation in Benicia until early 1998, until the Reddy family moved to Pleasanton, and from May 1998 the Center members now under the banner of the Sathya Sai Baba Center of Pleasanton were active participants and contributors in many Center and Regional Programs. In Christmas of 2002, Swami blessed the center with an opportunity to travel to Prashanthi Nilayam. As part of the pilgrimage, Center members put together a CD of English unison bhajans, which Swami blessed. It was one of the first such collection of English bhajans which became part of Radio Sai bhajan stream. Many other devotional offerings were put together by the Center members to observe and celebrate festival days.

During one of the interviews, Swami gave to a small group of Center members, Swami blessed the Center by saying, “The Center will keep growing. Many more new members will join, and some will leave”. True to Swami’s Words, membership kept growing and the size of the meeting space had started to become an issue.

In 2014, with blessings of Swami, Center transitioned to new location in Livermore and with a new name of Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Tri-Valley. With a larger facility for devotional gathering as well as for SSE classes, Center continues to thrive with activities in all three wings – Devotion, Service and SSE.