About The Center
The San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center, Inc., (d.b.a., The Center) is one of the largest and most vibrant LGBTQ community centers in the nation. Functioning as the San Diego LGBTQ community’s anchor organization, The Center is led by a 14-member board of directors, employs more than 70 paid staff, and utilizes more than 1,200 community volunteers to achieve its twin goals of promoting LGBTQ health/wellness and human rights. The Center provides targeted programs and services to the full diversity of the San Diego LGBTQ community, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities to the betterment of our entire San Diego region. Last year, The Center provided more than 87,000 direct service visits to San Diego community members, and through its events, activities, and advocacy, touched the lives of thousands more.
The Center is a leader in solving San Diego’s housing crisis, especially as it affects our LGBTQ community. In the last few years, The Center has expanded its housing programs and resources from one program – the Sunburst Youth Housing Project, a 23-unit building specifically for youth experiencing homelessness – to a continuum of services. These programs include North Park Senior Apartments, in partnership with Community Housing Works; Karibu – permanent supportive housing for individuals, couples, and families; LGBT Safe S.T.A.Y. – overnight emergency housing for transitional age youth; a Host Home program; a Family Reunification program; Rental Assistance and Prevention & Diversion services; and Project Compassion – an action-based program that provides direct supportive resources for those experiencing homelessness.
Through advocacy, civic engagement, and coalition building, The Center works to promote LGBTQ health and wellness, fight anti-Black racism, and advance human rights by amplifying the voices of families and community members who remain most marginalized—low-income residents, communities of color, immigrants, and refugees. A core value of The Center is that the health and wellness of our community cannot thrive without strong advocacy and community power.
Mission, vision, values, and more
Mission & Vision Statement
Mission: The San Diego LGBT Community Center enhances and sustains the health & well-being of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, nonbinary, immigrant, and HIV communities to the betterment of our entire San Diego region.
Vision: At The San Diego LGBT Community Center every person feels and knows that they are welcomed, valued, and supported. As the beacon for our regional LGBTQ community, each day we actively recommit to be a more vibrant, bold, innovative, safe, and modern Center than the day before.
Values
Dignity – Building pride, self-respect, and mutual-respect in everyone.
Inclusion – Welcoming and serving all members of our community.
Compassion – Caring about the needs of others and supporting them from a place of kindness and willingness to help.
Respect – Meeting, listening to, and acknowledging our community on its own terms; honoring each as a whole person.
Equity & Equality – Advocating for and intentionally reducing barriers to fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement for all our community members, inside and outside our Center.
Guiding Principles
The principles that guide the actions of The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s board, staff and volunteers, as well as the design and implementation of all Center programs, are:
– Inclusiveness and diversity founded on human and civil rights for all
– Financial stability and integrity
– The Resource Enhancement and Community Health (REACH) programming objectives
– Collaboration with consumers and other community agencies to provide a continuum of care and services,
– Compassionate, quality service delivery,
– Continual quality improvement,
– Leadership development,
– Cost-effectiveness, and
– Measurable outcomes.
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Center is committed to a policy of non-discrimination in employment and in the provision of all services.
It is an explicit goal of all Center programs to be inclusive and representative of the diversity found in the San Diego community. Honoring, promoting and celebrating our community’s diversity is a central organizing principle for The Center, as well as a part of our mission statement. Every staff member, board member, and volunteer is committed to helping to create an environment where each individual can feel respected, welcomed, and understood. The Center provides services without regard to race, ethnicity, color, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, genetic characteristics, political belief or activity, status as a veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state and local laws.
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