Feel Good Friday - SF LGBT Center

It’s Pride weekend in San Francisco, which culminates in a giant parade on Sunday. What a great time to learn about an organization that supports the LGBTQ+ community year round, the SF LGBT Center.

Opened in 2002 and located in San Francisco, California, the mission of the SF LGBT Center (the Center) is “to connect our diverse community to opportunities, resources and each other to achieve our vision of a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBT people and our allies.”

 

The four priorities of the Center are: “to foster greater opportunities for people to thrive, organize for our future, celebrate our history and culture and build resources to create a legacy for future generations.” They do this through their programming and resources.

Programs cover areas such as arts and culture, community building, and services focused on employment, finances, small businesses and youth. Specific examples include art gallery exhibitions, first-time homebuyer workshops, a New Entrepreneur Training Program and a drop-in program and mental health services for LGBTQ youth. This calendar shows upcoming events.

In addition to the programs and resources located at the Center, this link on the website has information about 181 other Bay Area organizations which you can filter by education, employment, health, housing, immigration, legal, social, trans and youth. If you have questions, the Center has answers.

In 2023, the Center saw over 100,000 visitors and provided direct services to almost 6,000 people. That’s 1,500 people attending programs and events, 1,000 hours of gender-affirming mental health support to LGBTQ youth, 1000 people accessing financial literacy resources and over 500 job seekers receiving employment support. You can read more details about the Center’s impact in the 2023 Year in Review.

Much of the way the Center achieves these results is with the help of over 1,000 volunteers who provide administrative and event support as well as staff the welcome desk and provide drop-in mentoring. 

If you’re looking for a way to help the Center build a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBTQ+ people and their allies, volunteering is a great way to do it. Other ways to support the Center include making a donation and amplifying their work on social media. Follow the SF LGBT Center on Facebook or Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Happy Pride!