Update Regarding Our New Building @ 645 Larkin Street
January 18, 2024
“San Francisco Community Health Center has been providing vital services in the Tenderloin community for all of our 37-year history. We are witness to what is happening in the Tenderloin on a daily basis. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and currently, we have been responding and are working to expand our well-established programs with the goal of uplifting and healing our neighborhood by continuing to serve our most marginalized neighbors,” states CEO, Lance Toma.
San Francisco Community Health Center is deeply committed to supporting and serving our community. The Tenderloin is our home and has been since our inception in 1987. Previously known as API Wellness Center, our initial focus on the Asian and Pacific Islander LGBTQ community has evolved with the needs of the Tenderloin. We are proud to provide accessible care for all members of our community and have centered the needs of Tenderloin residents and businesses in critical moments, including playing a crucial role in achieving 90% COVID-19 vaccination rates in the Tenderloin during the height of the epidemic.
San Francisco Community Health Center is a safety net for the transgender community, our unhoused community, people who use substances, and those with mental health needs. Our programs are humanizing and a bridge to helping people get off the streets, housed, and well. We purchased the former Turtle Tower restaurant space, 645 Larkin Street, which is on the same block as our headquarters on Polk Street, with hopes of amplifying our impact. “We believe that by expanding our culturally affirming care and supporting our community in new and innovative ways, we are honoring TurtleTower’s legacy in Little Saigon and reinforcing our commitment to our neighborhood,” voices CEO, Lance Toma.
Since November, we have been reaching out to neighbors and businesses to involve, engage, and collaborate on the design of our space. “Our programs actively invite people on the street to come inside and contribute to addressing the multi-faceted epidemics facing the Tenderloin. We believe our work builds pathways to achieving shared goals within the community,” says Ben Plumley, Board Chair. We continue to foster this hope and look forward to on-going dialogue on how we collectively heal all members of our community and improve the Tenderloin neighborhood for both residents and businesses. We are committed to our community and neighbors and will continue to explore pathways forward in partnership.