Our mission

The Potrero Hill Neighborhood House's Mission is to serve those most in need from the cradle to the grave, with an emphasis on youth and education.

What we do

The Potrero Hill Neighborhood House, affectionately referred to as the Nabe, is a family service community center. Our mission is to serve those most in need, from the cradle to the grave, with an emphasis on youth and education. Our goal is to strengthen collaboration among our community, public, and private agencies and increase local awareness in the Southeast Sector of San Francisco. Our priority is to provide opportunities for youth to develop their voice and leadership potential. We serve more than 5,000 community members every year.

We provide space for community gatherings and host programs for community members. Our programs include: year-round summer and after school programs for K-8 and high school students, counseling and case management services for court-involved youth, counseling support for transitional age youth, peer-to-peer counseling for incarcerated youth and adults, daily lunch for seniors, weekly community food pantries (for over 75 local families), weekly community classes, and more. Our staff has a history of cultural understanding with the population we serve.

The Nabe serves local community members, including low, extremely low, and moderate-income individuals. Our programs benefit the low-and moderate income (LMI) population by delivering service through our vast partnerships with committed members of the community to include law enforcement, local schools, faith based, government agencies, public and private non-profits, civic groups and other constituencies. LMI youth are identified as students on reduced or free lunch, students who require temporary or ongoing intervention in order to succeed academically. At least 80% of students in our programs receive low-income free lunch provisions. Low and moderate income students are less likely to transition successfully into adulthood and achieve economic self-sufficiency. These students require ongoing and comprehensive support. Our agency has 50 years of experience hosting programs that service this population.

Summer in the City (SIC), our summer day camp for K-8 youth, has taken place since 2008. San Francisco's Department of Children Youth and Their Families (DCYF) reports that the SIC program is among the top-rated in the City of San Francisco. Summer in the City enables students to explore San Francisco activities and communities on daily outings and weekly field trips. We serve approximately 105 K-8 youth each year.

Experiment in Diversity (EID) has been in operation since 1997. EID, an after school and summer program for high school youth, exists to enhance cultural understanding and foster education and career curiosity, serving approximately 45 youth each year.

We are developing a STEM Makerspace, a place where youth and young adults in the community can access tools, technology, and guidance to practically engage science, technology, engineering, and math. Our Makerspace will bring STEM education to traditionally marginalized and under-engaged low-income communities, providing opportunities that will lead to positive, measurable life outcomes.

Our staff, volunteers, and community members are dedicated to the well-being of the community by providing direct services to those in need as we maintain an all-inclusive, open door policy.