As you know, MYEEP is a collaboration between ten different non-profit agencies throughout San Francisco. We spoke with Stephanie Ha (MYEEP Coordinator @ Vietnamese Youth Development Center) to learn more about one of our agencies: VYDC!

What is the Vietnamese Youth Development Center’s mission?
Our mission is to provide direct assistance to Southeast Asian and neighborhood youth in the Tenderloin, by empowering them and their families to participate actively in the development of their community.

I know that VYDC offers more than 10 programs, can you tell me about them?
We offer comprehensive services such as youth employment (MYEEP!), case management, health and wellness, digital media/arts, and leadership programs. We help young people transition successfully into adulthood. Furthermore, we advocate for the needs of low-income youth in the neighborhood. We focus on developing youth leadership in the Tenderloin and throughout San Francisco.

In your opinion, what makes VYDC unique?
I think what makes VYDC unique is our diversity and commitment to the community. Although we are a very small organization, we serve over 1000 youth each year from different backgrounds and from different parts of the city. We continually strive to provide more services to bridge the gaps for our youth.

What do you hope for VYDC to achieve?
I hope for VYDC to not only continue the important work that we do, but to have the capacity to reach out and serve more youth in need. Additionally, I hope that the youth leaders that the Center has cultivated will wholeheartedly support the youth that come after them.