SOCIAL IMPACT CENTER

Great news! The Social Impact Center has reopened!

MONDAY-FRIDAY: 3pm-6pm

Stop by and say HELLO, and look for more programming to follow.

The Social Impact Center serves as a community drop-in center- attendance does not require a membership. All programming and workshops are FREE!

MISSION

The Burbank Community YMCA Social Impact Center has an important role to play in helping all individuals find their true colors while molding our next generation of change-makers. We believe our communities are strongest when everyone feels safe, valued, supported and able to reach their full potential with dignity and love.

VISION

Imagine a community, 10 years from now, where Burbank becomes a force that is inclusive, economically-secure and a healthy safe space with equal opportunities for everyone to thrive and grow.

At the Burbank Community YMCA Social Impact Center, we offer:

A safe space for youth and families to hang and allow them a space to be themselves unapologetically.
Workshops- Life Skills, Safe Sex Practices, Social Injustice, Knowing Your Rights, Equality and Equity, Foster Care and System Reform, Gender Identification & much more!
1-on-1s with Youth Advocates & Social Work Interns
Homework Help
Movie/Game Nights
Referral Services- HIV testing, mental health counseling, homelessness prevention.

Life Skills workshops include: resume building, money management, job readiness & more!

SOLUTION

Burbank's first and only LGBTQIA+ Resource Center

Designed for individuals of all ages with a focus primarily on middle school and high school youth. The Social Impact Center provides a safe space for youth to learn life skills, attend workshops, and improve their mental health in a variety of programming. This is a place that allows individuals of all ages a place to connect, build relationships, and make a change within the community. With many partnerships in place with our local school district, hospital, library, and non profits, this center is a new accomplishment that is leading Burbank into a new, bold future.

The Social Impact Center advocates for inclusive sexual health services with the support of our clinical partners throughout the Los Angeles County. In doing so, we aim to raise HIV and STI awareness by providing a safe space with the appropriate healthcare resources such as Rapid HIV Testing, free condoms, and referrals to local clinics.

With our licensed healthcare partners, we are able to provide accessible vaccine education on Covid-19, flu shots, M-Pox to stop the spread of misinformation and connect folks to the appropriate health care channels. Additionally with this, we team up with local clinics to provide mobile vaccines, testing and screenings.

We also partner with More Than Sex Ed, a non-profit organization that engages teens and tweens in a series of sexual health workshops, providing them with the proper tools and information on safe sex practices, human sexuality and getting honest fact-based answers.

At the Social Impact Center, we have designated evenings where we show movies that can be related to topics of discussion or just for simple fun! Some films are even shown by request of the participants. We have a movie license to show these films but unfortunately with the license, cannot advertise the films on social media or flyers but can share them with anyone who asks directly.

Please note: some films may contain nudity, sexual situations, strong language, violence and drug or alcohol use.

• Support continued research on the unique characteristics and experience of LGBTQ homeless youth, including how to address family conflict specific to this population.
• Prevent homelessness among this population by providing increased support and early intervention programs for families who may be struggling with their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Increase community awareness of the causes and prevalence of youth homelessness in the LGBTQ population through school and community events such as discussion forums, parent information nights, and other events.
• Engage LGBTQ homeless youth in designing appropriate social services and supports that meet the needs of their community.
• Develop new services such as shelters, drop-in centers, and transitional-living programs to address the needs of all homeless youth, including the needs of the LGBTQ population for safety and acceptance.
• Create safe social spaces for members of the LGBTQ homeless youth community to interact with each other in positive ways, such as community centers where the youth feel safe and comfortable, and can obtain information and access to services.
• Encourage members of the larger LGBTQ community to address the issue of LGBTQ youth homelessness by becoming foster parents, or by providing mentorship to these youth.