3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic is a community-based nonprofit centered in Bayview Hunters Point that serves young people, ages 12-27, living across San Francisco. Our youth want to finish high school and go to college, have fun with their friends, get jobs and have their own apartments, and work toward fulfilling careers. Like all young people, they are resilient and strong but need the guidance of caring and safe adults to make responsible decisions about their health, wellness, and futures. 3rd Street honors each individual’s unique experiences, designing our services and programs to be responsive to diverse backgrounds and perspectives and to build on our youth’s inherent strengths and skills.

We believe that…

• Every young person wants to be healthy and can be.
• When youth critically examine their own behavior and future, they make better choices that lead them to a healthier life.
• Mistakes are part of adolescence and are a necessary part of the journey to adulthood. Our goal is to help youth correct their missteps without shame.
• Recovery is possible. Some youth make unhealthy choices as a coping mechanism in response to abuse, neglect, or trauma. These youth can learn new skills and overcome their own history.
• Mentors and role models are an important part of helping youth plan toward a healthy future.
• Parents and family members are the most influential people in youths’ live. For many youth, their participation is necessary for lasting change to occur.
• Many of the health disparities that affect the youth in our community stem from long-standing racism and economic depression beyond their control. Individual change is not enough. There must also be institutional change.
• The Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood has a history of shared resources and mutual support. We honor that historical example through a continued strategy built on collaboration and sustained partnerships.
• Each group of youth has its own culture, needs, and experiences that are real and valid. We must adjust to meet new challenges in order to serve the youth here now and those coming in the future.