United Playaz (UP) lives by the principle that “it takes the hood to save the hood.” UP is a violence prevention and youth development organization that has worked in San Francisco for 25 years. The UP Clubhouse is located in the heart of San Francisco’s SoMa district.
The dedicated UP team shares similar backgrounds with the youth they serve, and they work with the key insight that communities prosper from within. UP provides kids with a safe and positive environment in which they can grow. Their goal is to maintain a consistent “home” that most of the kids they serve lack in other facets of their daily lives. As a result, kids feel liberated when given a personal sense of security from those they can trust. Youth have the opportunity to grow from UP’s foundation of love and support. The youth that gather at UP are very diverse: Samoan, African-American, Latinx, Asian, white, and multi-racial youth are all encouraged to break barriers, recognize their similarities, and form friendships.