My name is Gloria Cruz Cardenas (she/they), Chief Impact Officer at The Center, and I’m excited to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our Hillcrest Youth Center (HYC)—recently honored with an official proclamation by the San Diego City Council—and to invite you to join us in protecting every LGBTQ+ generation.

Center CEO Cara Dessert (she/her) and members of our staff proudly accepted this proclamation at the City Council meeting last week. We’re deeply grateful to Councilmember Stephen Whitburn (he/him) for bringing forward this proclamation, recognizing the work of The Center, and for his support of San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community.

For 25 years, the Hillcrest Youth Center has been a sanctuary for thousands of LGBTQ+ young people. What began as a bold act of love and defiance has grown into a lifesaving resource offering mentorship, mental health support, health and financial education, youth leadership training, computer access, and community—all free of charge. Six years ago, we expanded this legacy by opening the South Bay Youth Center, ensuring even more youth throughout our region could access our Youth Services and an affirming space close to home.

This year alone, HYC and SBYC have welcomed more than 3,572 youth visits—triple the number from just three years ago. Every young person who walks through our doors is supported not only as an individual, but as part of a family and community. Parents, caregivers, siblings, and allies all find connection and guidance through our Family Services, building understanding across generations.

This work is core to our mission at The Center, where we believe in a radical truth: every LGBTQ+ generation deserves a future.

From youth discovering who they are, to seniors who fought to advance LGBTQ+ rights, to adults navigating housing, health care, and community connection—our mission spans every stage of life. Stories like Kelly and Nikki’s, a mom who as a teen went to HYC and as an adult brought her own child to HYC, remind us of our impact and why we fight. As anti-LGBTQ policies threaten our community’s safety and well-being, our commitment has never been more urgent.

As we proudly celebrate 25 years of HYC and look toward the future, your support will keep our community strong. Cuts to federal and state funding threaten the very programs that save lives, but together, we can hold the line, safeguard what we’ve built, and ensure that every LGBTQ+ person can live with dignity, joy, and possibility.

Join us in honoring this milestone and preparing for the next 25 years.