By Rob Connolly, President
I am pleased to provide an update on the historic transformation that is underway in Sunnydale, a community we at Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF) have been fortunate to serve for over 30 years. With your support, we can quadruple our impact in the community as a long-awaited milestone approaches.
The groundbreaking for a community Hub will take place late this fall with the hopes of opening in late 2023. This will provide an essential community amenity and include a state-of-the art Boys & Girls Club, WuYee Childcare Center, and a San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department gym and park.
This advancement is happening as part of a long-term public/private partnership led by Mercy Housing California, the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), the HOPE SF Initiative, San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA), and Related California. To-date hundreds of new affordable homes have been created as part of Sunnydale’s revitalization efforts and many more are in progress.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Building the community Hub is an essential next step in providing neighborhood amenities that allow for vibrant community and long-term success for all residents.
A $40M capital campaign is being led by Mercy Housing, with BGCSF, Wu Yee, and Related serving as active fundraising partners for the project. Together, we are bringing the philanthropic community into this project and are working hard to secure the final $15M over the coming months.
To learn more about how you can participate and to make a gift to the Sunnydale Hub, contact Shashi Jivan at SJivan@MercyHousing.org or 415.355.7128. You can also download more information about the opportunity here.
A lack of basic amenities common to San Francisco neighborhoods, such as a grocery store and other easy-to-reach retail, adequate safe spaces for young people to play indoors and outdoors, safe streets, and good public transportation, have all impacted Sunnydale. For too long, this community has struggled with complex social issues, relatively isolated from the rest of San Francisco. BGCSF is proud to be working alongside Mercy Housing, Wu Yee Children’s Services, and the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department (RPD) to provide the youth and families in the community with the long awaited resources, programming and facilities that will allow them to thrive.
Interested in learning more about BGCSF’s history in Sunnydale?
In March, 2020, we shared our optimism over the launch of the Sunnydale Redevelopment project as well as some background on our significant roots in the community and our work in supporting kids and families.
A letter of gratitude from BGCSF President, Rob Connolly, to all supporters.
November is Children's Grief Awareness Month. With generous support from New York Life Foundation and 1440 Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF) recently introduced the Healing Arts in Culture (HAiC) program and actively addresses the high rates of death among San Francisco’s BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Led by our Behavioral Health Services Team, the series connects the incredible cultural diversity of our communities with opportunities and resources that support emotional wellness, while celebrating all identities, and histories, and supporting related social activism.
At a time when the challenges facing San Francisco often make headlines, those of us who are deeply involved in the City are frequently asked for our assessment on what is currently happening and what we expect for the future. While clearly there are complex issues that must be solved if our City and its people are to thrive, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco (BGCSF) holds a steadfast sense of optimism for San Francisco, and we are committed to doing our part to ensure its bright future.