On behalf of the Japanese American community, we are writing to express our deep concern over the recent decision by the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (DCYF) to eliminate funding for the Japantown Youth Leaders (JYL) project. This leadership development project is vital to the future of the Japantown community and we urge you to restore funding for JYL and make it a priority in the budget you deliver to the Board of Supervisors on June 1st.
The JYL project, formerly known as the Japanese American Youth Services (JAYS) project, is currently the only DCYF funded project which is specifically targeted towards the Japantown community. The project was established in 1998 in response to the consensus need of the community to increase the civic engagement and leadership development of youth. Since that time, JYL has engaged hundreds of youth in community service, leadership training, and personal development.
During your first term as Mayor of San Francisco, you participated in a community meeting and declared your intent to ensure the long-term future and vitality of the Japantown community. As a result of your support, Japantown launched a Better Neighborhoods Planning process to identify strategies to preserve the unique heritage and bolster the economic development of the community. Regardless of the outcome of the BNP planning process, ultimately Japantown has no future without the emergence of young leaders to see the plan out to its fruition.
Eliminating 100% of the City’s resources for youth in other neighborhoods would be unthinkable. While we understand that the City’s budget crisis is dire, it cannot be balanced at the expense of this community. Though Japantown is a small neighborhood, it is unacceptable for the City of San Francisco to dismiss our neighborhood and the youth of this community.
Once again, we urge you to reinstate funding for the JYL project in the final budget that you will deliver to the Board of Supervisors on the first of June.
Updates
May 21, 2010
Seeing 250 names on this list feels surreal because this program shaped my own path as a younger person in this neighborhood. Your support proves that our community history is worth fighting for.
May 19, 2010
Seeing one hundred people come together to protect JYL brings me back to the meetings I attended when this program first started. This community heritage is worth fighting for and I am grateful to have so many of you by my side.
Reached 250 supporters
May 19, 2010
Reached 100 supporters
May 18, 2010
May 16, 2010
Watching this list grow reminds me of the countless afternoons I spent in JYL as a teenager. We are nearly at one hundred names and I need you to help push us over that threshold now so the Mayor sees exactly how much this community fights for its youth.
6 Comments
Our youth deserve better than this. They need these leadership programs to stay connected to their culture. BRING THE FUNDING BACK.
JYL is essential for our community. Dont cut this!!
Such a shame. Please reconsider.
Keep this program going. My daughter was in it and it changed her life, shes so much more confident now.
This makes no sense. The city always talks about investing in the future but then they go and cut the only program that actually does that for our kids.
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On behalf of the Japanese American community, we are writing to express our deep concern over the recent decision by the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (DCYF) to eliminate funding for the Japantown Youth Leaders (JYL) project. This leadership development project is vital to the future of the Japantown community and we urge you to restore funding for JYL and make it a priority in the budget you deliver to the Board of Supervisors on June 1st.
The JYL project, formerly known as the Japanese American Youth Services (JAYS) project, is currently the only DCYF funded project which is specifically targeted towards the Japantown community. The project was established in 1998 in response to the consensus need of the community to increase the civic engagement and leadership development of youth. Since that time, JYL has engaged hundreds of youth in community service, leadership training, and personal development.
During your first term as Mayor of San Francisco, you participated in a community meeting and declared your intent to ensure the long-term future and vitality of the Japantown community. As a result of your support, Japantown launched a Better Neighborhoods Planning process to identify strategies to preserve the unique heritage and bolster the economic development of the community. Regardless of the outcome of the BNP planning process, ultimately Japantown has no future without the emergence of young leaders to see the plan out to its fruition.
Eliminating 100% of the City’s resources for youth in other neighborhoods would be unthinkable. While we understand that the City’s budget crisis is dire, it cannot be balanced at the expense of this community. Though Japantown is a small neighborhood, it is unacceptable for the City of San Francisco to dismiss our neighborhood and the youth of this community.
Once again, we urge you to reinstate funding for the JYL project in the final budget that you will deliver to the Board of Supervisors on the first of June.
Updates
May 21, 2010
Seeing 250 names on this list feels surreal because this program shaped my own path as a younger person in this neighborhood. Your support proves that our community history is worth fighting for.
May 19, 2010
Seeing one hundred people come together to protect JYL brings me back to the meetings I attended when this program first started. This community heritage is worth fighting for and I am grateful to have so many of you by my side.
Reached 250 supporters
May 19, 2010
Reached 100 supporters
May 18, 2010
May 16, 2010
Watching this list grow reminds me of the countless afternoons I spent in JYL as a teenager. We are nearly at one hundred names and I need you to help push us over that threshold now so the Mayor sees exactly how much this community fights for its youth.
6 Comments
Are you kidding me? This is the only thing we have left for the kids in J-town. Bad decision.
Our youth deserve better than this. They need these leadership programs to stay connected to their culture. BRING THE FUNDING BACK.
JYL is essential for our community. Dont cut this!!
Such a shame. Please reconsider.
Keep this program going. My daughter was in it and it changed her life, shes so much more confident now.
This makes no sense. The city always talks about investing in the future but then they go and cut the only program that actually does that for our kids.
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Are you kidding me? This is the only thing we have left for the kids in J-town. Bad decision.