In one of the most drug traffic areas in the world, a miracle is taking place. Right in the middle of the Tenderloin in San Francisco, where drugs are traded openly on almost every street corner, a school is being built to save the kids.
I want you to imagine a young girl walking to school. Picture her weaving in and out of drug dealers, and prostitutes. Imagine her having to step over homeless people, coming to intersections where all four corners are covered with liquor stores. Picture her not being able to make eye contact for fear of being hurt or harassed.
What I’ve just described to you is not a scene from a movie set, or a figment of my imagination. It’s the reality for 3,500 students each and every day in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. The fact is that if no one steps in and helps, it will get worse. The exciting news is that there is hope.
There is a school in the heart of this dark place, committed to helping make sure that these kids have a firm foundation for a life that includes hope and a future. The San Francisco City Academy is that beacon of light in the inner city of San Francisco. For 11 years the City Academy has been providing excellent educational opportunities for the underserved children of the Tenderloin District. These kids are being taking from a path of gangs, violence, and prison, and set on a new path towards educational opportunities, healthy relationships and success.
Johnny tells the story of how the San Francisco City Academy changed his life.
“At an early age I witnessed my dad die from an overdose of drugs. My mom and I suffered after that, finding ourselves in and out of the shelter system. Every morning we would have to leave the shelter at 6:00am and wander the streets for two hours until school started at 8:00am. It was a terrible time for us, and I found myself wondering every night where I would sleep. I found myself with a broken heart and no love on the inside. I was really struggling in school, fighting, and cursing a lot. Then one day my mom took me to the academy and my life hasn’t been the same since. I now know there is a God that loves me, there are people that care for me, and I’m doing well in school. I now have the dream to go to college and become a professional football player. If it wasn’t for the San Francisco City Academy I don’t know where I’d be.”
Currently, a new building is being built to educate 350 more “Johnnys.” This place will continue on a legacy of giving a hand up to those who most deserve it—our children. Right now you can sponsor someone like Johnny. For $38 a month you can help provide a great education, hot meals, after-school opportunities, and basic medical services for one of these children. We need help; we have no support from the City or government to fund our school. We need a miracle to complete this school. Our goal is to make sure that this new building is filled with children who need hope. Would you be one of those 350 Sponsors? For more information please contact: City Impact, 230 Jones St., SF, CA 94102. Phone: 415.292.1770 or email: Clintladine.sf911@yahoo.com