The HYPE CenterOverview
San Francisco youth—particularly females, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ individuals—face systemic challenges that make them more vulnerable to sex trafficking and exploitation. The HYPE Center combats sex trafficking in the San Francisco Bay Area by providing support to high-risk groups and those with backgrounds in the foster care or juvenile justice systems. This collaborative is led by over 20 partners representing local nonprofit, public, and private sector partners, including SF Department on the Status of Women, Planned Parenthood, Bay Area Legal Aid, West Coast Children's Clinic, Youth Leadership Institute, Sacred Roots, CASA, SF Human Services Agency, CA Department of Social Services, Seneca Family of Agencies, DropBox Foundation, and more. This pilot project will provide critical needs for at-risk youth, including financial stability, hygiene, food, housing, therapy, educational workshops, and peer support services. Read more about The HYPE Center below: The Helping Young People to Elevate Center (The HYPE Center) is piloting a youth-centered space to eliminate and prevent commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC) among vulnerable youth in San Francisco (SF). A comprehensive approach aimed at both immediate intervention and long-term systemic change. The HYPE Center hopes to accomplish this through a place-based network of partners to provide youth services that provides access to specialized mental health professionals to address the complex trauma experienced by CSEC youth, legal advocacy from professionals so they are better supported to navigate the Juvenile Justice to reduce recidivism, connecting to youth via social media and technology to better use digital tools to broaden their reach, disseminate safety information more effectively and foster a resilient digital community to combat against exploiters that use social media to recruit/groom youth for exploitation. Furthermore, getting local business leaders and entrepreneurs to provide opportunities for youth to enter the workforce and further broadening their future prospects. And ultimately, strengthening the connections with local government officials, to enhance the influence on policies and increase access to vital resources. Led by Freedom Forward, the collaboration consisting of key partners the California Department of Social Services, SF Dept on the Status of Women, and the SF Human Services agency and over 10 other public and private partners seek to build out a youth-centered space consisting of holistic services to address a spectrum of needs from mental health, alternative healing, workforce development, legal and immigration, housing and more. The Collaboration
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The Problem
Data reveals a stark reality: 50-80% of Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) have connections to the foster care or child welfare system (California Department of Social Services). The 2022 SF Youth Homeless Count and Survey highlighted that 84% of homeless youth are unsheltered or unstably housed, with 38% identifying as LGBTQIA+ and 29% as foster youth, factors which markedly elevate their trafficking risk. Furthermore, a 2021 report from San Francisco's anti-human trafficking task force found that 49% of trafficking victims are minors, with 91% of trafficking cases linked to sex exploitation, mainly impacting individuals under 25. Surveys conducted by the HYPE Center’s Youth Founding Team identified critical needs among youth, including financial stability, hygiene, food, and housing, alongside a strong desire for therapy, educational workshops, and peer support services. "Through our partnership and collaboration, we are breaking barriers, building a sense of community, and empowering vulnerable youth across the Bay Area by meeting their needs with dignity and without limitation. Through collaboration and innovation, Hype Center has truly transformed from a local resource into a cornerstone of holistic support—addressing social, emotional, and physical well-being while strengthening networks to ensure no one falls through the cracks." - Victory Askew, C-Change Assistant Program Director, WestCoast Children's Clinic
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