Community Engagement

For more than 55 years, CYC has ensured that young people in San Francisco find and feel support—and grow up in communities that are thriving, inclusive, and safe.

Our work today focuses on:

• Supporting youth as active participants and leaders in the broader community by engaging them in local issues they determine are important, and broadening that engagement to include new groups, elders, families, and civic role models from across San Francisco
  
  
• Providing youth facing cultural and language barriers with opportunities to help and learn from others, refine their skills, and both find and amplify their voice
  
  
• Serving diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods with referrals, linkages, education, and events that foster connection, mutual trust, resilience, and safety
  
  
• Responding to community trends and situations that require specialized, culturally/linguistically competent, and trauma-informed mediation and service
  
  
• Continuing to nurture our historical roots in the AAPI community by servicing those community members directly, while expanding efforts to be intersectional and stand as strong allies

For more than 54 years, CYC has been a trusted supporter of the local AAPI community in San Francisco, known for our many programs that benefit the community throughout the city and in each neighborhood. As we’ve grown, the city has turned to CYC for our expertise building bridges across racially diverse communities in the Bayview, Tenderloin, Richmond, and elsewhere. Over time, and across the city, CYC has provided steady leadership in response to situations that require specialized, culturally/linguistically competent, and trauma-informed mediation.

As with all our programs, we tailor our multi-racial and cross-racial advocacy and justice work to each individual, while also working at a group level and supporting community-driven change. By respecting the uniqueness of each individual, group, and community, we build trust that leads to new growth and new possibilities.

dealing with the hatred and xenophobia and racism that this community has suffered was really hard for san francisco, and we knew we had a trusted organization in cyc who partnered with us to start an escort program, a program that seniors and people who did not feel safe could reach out to and get help and the support they need as they run their errands along clement street or in chinatown or in other places in our city.

― Former San Francisco Mayor London Breed

A shining example: the Richmond Community Hub

The new Richmond Community Hub exemplifies our programmatic approach and how CYC’s community engagement and advocacy efforts intertwine. Richmond is often seen as a stable, middle-income community. However, a substantial and growing number of Richmond youth and their families struggle daily with basic needs. Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) comprise 40% of the Richmond community, and 42% of them are considered low income or in poverty. Low-income members of the Richmond community face challenges to find affordable housing, make a livable wage, and obtain proper health care.

The Richmond Community Hub will:

• Expand education and employment opportunities to young people, low-income adults, and older adults
• Foster social connection through a mix of culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach, workshops, services, and community events
• Enhance partnerships with local organizations
• Support cultural pride and a family-centered approach

The Hub will revitalize this essential community, providing support and connection for decades to come.