This is Stephanie Conklin, Crisis Services Program Manager at The Center, and I am happy to invite you to our annual Come Home for the Holidays on Saturday, December 20, 2025, from 4-6pm, at The Center. Join in community to celebrate the holidays with a free meal, meaningful connection, and opportunities to learn about resources from our partner organizations.
Come Home for the Holidays is a space for everyone to gather and experience the sense of belonging our community needs right now. This free, family-friendly tradition includes a warm meal provided by Gossip Grill, a dedicated area for seniors, activities for youth, a mindfulness space, a hot chocolate station, and a mini piñata making room. Enjoy performances from local community members and resource tables hosted by LGBTQ-affirming partner organizations.
The holiday season often highlights our need for community, support, and chosen family. For many LGBTQ+ community members, this time of year can be especially difficult due to limited support systems, a lack of safe spaces, and few affirming celebrations. That’s why The Center has made Come Home for the Holidays a beloved tradition, creating an empowering, welcoming space where our community can connect, celebrate, and experience the joy and comfort of chosen family.
To join us for Come Home for the Holidays on December 20 at The Center, please RSVP on our website.
Community Food Resources
In addition to the free meal we provide at our annual holiday event, The Center is committed to ensuring our community has access to essential food resources throughout the year.
Food insecurity remains a serious issue in San Diego, and more than 1 in 4 San Diegans experienced food insecurity in June 2025, according to the San Diego Hunger Coalition. CalFresh, California’s version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), provides 61% of all meals to food insecure San Diegans, and ongoing efforts to undermine essential SNAP resources further compromises the vulnerable communities who depend on them, including communities of color, those with disabilities, and immigrants. Our LGBTQ+ community members, particularly transgender and nonbinary people, are also disproportionately impacted by poverty and increasingly reliant on safety nets like SNAP.
In response to this growing crisis, The Center is increasing the number of upcoming Neighborhood Food Banks (free and open to all), provided in partnership with the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank alongside our Senior Food Banks for low-income seniors 60 and older. Our updated schedule includes the following dates:
- November 25 from 1-3pm: Senior Food Bank
- December 2 from 8-10am: Neighborhood Food Bank
- December 9 from 8-10am: Neighborhood Food Bank
- December 23 from 1-3pm: Senior Food Bank
The Center provides food resources year-round:
- Youth Services food pantries offer non-perishable food and meals to LGBTQ+ youth at our Hillcrest Youth Center and South Bay Youth Center. In addition, SBYC will host Friendsgiving on Tuesday, November 25, from 4:30-6:30pm, and HYC will host Friendsgiving on Wednesday, November 26, from 4:30-6:30pm.
- Senior Services provides free meals at many senior events, as well as free daily meals through our Congregate Meal Program offered in partnership with Jewish Family Service.
- Many support groups and community events at The Center provide shared meals, and Project Compassion provides food, water, and essentials to unhoused community members every Thursday from 10am-2pm.
This week, The Center is also hosting the annual Carlson Ferbal Thanksgiving Community Dinner that takes place on Thursday, November 27, from 12-3pm, and doors open at 11am. Come by for this free community event organized by the Imperial Court de San Diego and the Rob Benzon Dan Ferbal Foundation.
Food insecurity is not only an issue of hunger but of dignity, overall health, and stability, touching every part of a person’s life. Our commitment to care is at the heart of all food resources we provide, including our Come Home for the Holidays event. This welcoming celebration reminds us that our resilience, our chosen families, and our shared dedication to caring for one another are what make our community stronger.
From all of us at The Center, we welcome you to come as you are to enjoy a meal and find your community, knowing that you have a safe space here during the holidays and always.
In Community,
Stephanie Conklin (She/Her)
Crisis Services Program Manager