“I love my neighbor who’s wearing white!”
“I love my neighbor who’s going camping!”
The instant phrases like these are uttered, fifteen teenagers make a mad dash to the nearest empty chair. No, this isn’t a suburban version of musical chairs. It’s a game called “I Love My Neighbor,” one of the many icebreakers used at the Vietnamese Youth Development Center (VYDC) nestled in the outskirts of San Francisco’s Tenderloin.
The VYDC was established in 1979 by a group of Vietnamese refugees who were concerned over a lack of services targeting youth in the crime ridden Tenderloin. It began serving refugee youth from the war-torn regions of Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1970s and 80s. Not long thereafter, the VYDC began serving immigrant youths from all parts of the world. Today, the Center serves over 1,000 youth annually from all neighborhoods in The City. Walk in to this particular group of neighbor-loving teens and you’ll find Vietnamese, Cambodians, African Americans, and Latinos all ranging from ages 10-24 years.
What is special about many of the youth here is that the Center is their only alternative to the harsh realities of their neighborhoods. Many of them are low-income, at-risk, high-risk, truant, been in and out of the juvenile justice system, have behavioral problems at home, or are children of single parents. But with all the lighthearted chatter and clowning around among them, you could never tell.
“We’re all friends here,” says Christine Huynh, a fifteen-year-old youth and daughter to a single mother. “We work together. You can’t even tell that they’re [the youth] are like that [delinquents] because we’re so cool with each other.”
The VYDC offers these teens a plethora of academic and vocational services, such as drop-in tutoring, college prep courses, and career planning programs. Those that were here on this July day were part of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), a six-week citywide collaborative that provides teens with the valuable skills needed to survive in the workforce.
“We do presentations, learn how to talk to other people, leadership skills, find more things about ourselves, and learn how to express ourselves,” explains Huynh, who is a part of SYEP herself. “I’ve learned to have more confidence and about being a good leader, stuff that will help me in jobs, school, college, and in my future.”
Most importantly, the Center has given these youth a place where they can positively commune in activities such as Friday night get-togethers, game nights, and after school programs.
“We really want to further youth peer-to-peer relations with each other,” says Judy Young, Executive Director of the VYDC, who was once a youth at the Center herself. “We want to help get these kids graduate high school, get them off probation, and get them into college.”
And it’s certainly helped many of the youths here. Many of them can not imagine a more exciting life without the Center.
Says Huynh, “VYDC is the bomb. It’s the bomb diggity!”
This Saturday, July 31, the Center is holding their first annual Party for a Cause across the street from the Center at Suite 181, located at 181 Eddy Street. This inaugural event is set to celebrate the youths that have been a part of the VYDC, as well as the Center’s resiliency despite major budget cuts. The event kicks off with the performance mixer from 7-10 pm with music, skits, and poetry readings from the youths as well as a screening of the Emmy award winning film A.K.A. Don Bonus. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Center. The after party (for ages 21 and older) will run from 10 pm to 3 am. Tickets are $25 for both the mixer and after party, or $10 to attend the after party only. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit http://vydevent.eventbee.com.event?eid=741350213. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the VYDC at 166 Eddy Street (at Taylor Street).
