UNITED PLAYAZ INC
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Mission Statement
United Playaz is a San Francisco-based violence prevention and youth development organization that provides a comprehensive range of services to prepare vulnerable youth for higher education, employment, and healthy living in a safe, nurturing, and collaborative environment.
About This Cause
At United Playaz, we have worked with vulnerable youth for 20 years in SOMA and across San Francisco. Our youth center, The United Playaz Clubhouse, is located in SOMA on 6th Street and Howard, a part of SOMA that has become ground zero for the intersection of poverty and the booming tech economy. SOMA is San Francisco’s most economically and racially diverse community, with the greatest disparity of income and a high rate of immigrant families. The 6th Street corridor has historically served as an undocumented ‘containment zone’ for overt criminal activity. Our neighborhood is currently overwhelmed with new developments. Sadly, this growth is not benefitting the men and women who have called SOMA home for generations. This oversight is most devastating to the young people who struggle to advocate for themselves and their families. Our youth see mostly struggle in their lives. They are intelligent, creative, compassionate individuals with a great deal of potential. But they face staggering challenges. These issues reveal the chronic problems and public health issues that plague our city such as poverty, lack of affordable housing, limited employment opportunities, and crime. Apathy in school and criminal behavior are only a few of the many ramifications. Additionally, many of the youth we serve are first generation Americans, dealing with the hardships of assimilating to American culture. Our youth have little exposure to the hopefulness and enthusiasm of the economy that grows around them. They don’t know the path to good jobs. They don’t know the people who are prospering. They don’t get exposure to the people, information, and support they need to thrive. Our youth know a different world. Within one month alone, and within a one mile radius of The Clubhouse, the San Francisco Police Department reported: 170 assaults, 88 robberies, 167 acts of vandalism, 209 drug and narcotic activities, 4 homicides. This is the backdrop of our kid’s lives. This is their foundation. At United Playaz, we strive to create a more stable and healthy environment for youth. Violence prevention research consistently shows that criminal activity stems from learned behaviors that are symptomatic of larger public health problems within a child’s family, school, and community. Conversely, non-violence is also a learned behavior. We spend our days addressing the violence, broken families, low academic performance, and profound disempowerment, which create limits for youth. We live by the creed that “it takes the hood to save the hood.” Our programs reflect this belief, as they are entirely led and driven by youth in support of building healthy, strong and vibrant communities. Our youth hold the decision making power. They are our architects and determine our organizational development, activities, and events. We believe they will create the best solutions to meet the challenges they face when provided with holistic supports, academic enrichment, and leadership and life skills. Our youth are our best agents of change.