Grantee Database
FREEDOM FWD
Grant Year
2024-25
Grant Program
Impact Projects
Award Amount
$21,989.00
Project Description
With support from the California Arts Council, Freedom Forward’s Hip Hop HEALS program engages youth aged 14-24 through artistic outlets that enhance their social and emotional development and strengthen community bonds. Based in the HYPE Center and in collaboration with Hip Hop For The Future, the initiative integrates hip-hop culture with holistic wellness programs to serve 300 unique youth annually.
The HYPE Center operates as a multi-service drop-in space designed by and for youth, promoting access to resources under one roof in service to preventing commercial sexual exploitation.
The project includes Youth-led Open Mic Nights and Hip Hop Education Workshops, which are designed to empower youth by providing them with leadership roles and opportunities to express themselves creatively. The program also focuses on quarterly outreach events that connect youth with essential community services and resources.
Organization Summary
The cornerstone of our intervention strategies is the HYPE (Helping Young People Elevate) Center, inaugurated in 2019 as a sanctuary designed by and for the youth. This multi-service drop-in center was conceived to directly confront and dismantle the barriers that vulnerable youth in San Francisco encounter. By centralizing a suite of services from peer partners—including legal support, mental health counseling, workforce development, and alternative healing practices—alongside providing essential resources such as showers, nutritious food, clothing, and laundry facilities, HYPE stands as a beacon of hope and transformation. The center operates on both a feedback-driven model, ensuring that the voices and needs of the youth are not only heard but are central to the ongoing evaluation and adaptation of our services, and a collaborative healing-focused peer service providers.
Organization
Freedom Forward
Address
198 Potrero Ave
San Francisco
94103-4813
County
San Francisco
Region
Bay Area – San Francisco
Phone
(415) 525-4438
Congressional District
District 11
State Assembly District
District 17
State Senate District
District 11
