RDNC Fete for 25 Yrs.
October 28, 2005
As the Richmond District Neighborhood Center (RDNC) celebrates its 25th anniversary, it has grown into a thriving, multipurpose, multi-ethnic community center that serves as a focal point for neighborhood collaborations.
The Center located at 741 30th Ave., in San Francisco serves over 2,000 community members of all ages each year.
RDNC emerged in 1980 from a neighborhood campaign to save the then-unused Lucinda Weeks School site from condominium development. Residents of the community rallied together in opposition, established the nonprofit organization and secured a long-term lease from the San Francisco Unified School District.
Today, the Center’s After-School Collaborative provides programs at five nearby elementary schools for 280 children.
Its children’s arts program on Saturdays offers 300 children from ages 6 to 12, free artist-led workshops.
Another of RDNC’s programs, the Richmond Village Beacon, supports a tutoring program, student clubs and programs from George Washington High School and Roosevelt and Presidio middle schools.
Steve Shapiro, executive of the Community Music Center, recalls “only 5% of our students were making their way across town [from the Richmond District]” to their old location in the Mission District. Now, with the Richmond location, annual attendance has risen from 200 to over 500 students.
RDNC’s celebration includes a video history, cocktails, silent auction and performances by Yellow River Drummers, Flying Angels Youth Troupe and a Latin jazz quartet.
DETAILS: $100, Oct. 27, 6:30 – 9 p.m.; Legion of Honor, atop Lincoln Park at 34th Ave. and Clement St. For more info, call Executive Director Patricia Kaussen at (415) 751-6600, www.rdnc.org.
[The Beacon is] “some place neutral where you can discover yourself. Community centers like RDNC give you an outlet for creativity and expression. They give you more exposure to life and vistas.”
– Robert Wong, Richmond ,Village Beacon graduate
“My favorite thing about working at the Beacon and RNDC is experiencing Beacon staff, youth and their families come in, grow, and exceed expectations.”
– Christopher Chow, Beacon Director
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