When Rob Gitn and Taj Mustapha first founded At The Crossroads 20 years ago, they began offering services to homeless youth on the streets of the Mission and Tenderloin before they had an office. For several months, they operated out of Muddy Waters coffee shop on Valencia Street, storing supplies at their apartments. More often than not, debriefs after nighttime street outreach would take place at a coffee shop or a bar.
In June of 1998, they moved into ATC’s first home at 333 Valencia. The office was a huge upgrade from their apartments, but it required a lot of workarounds to make it viable for seeing clients. With ATC’s growth, the space quickly became cramped and cluttered. As the years passed and the city changed, the idea of a bigger office that would meet the needs of our clients and staff felt increasingly out of reach.
About three years ago, ATC lost the lease on our Valencia Street office when the building changed owners. Soon after, we joined San Francisco’s Nonprofit Displacement Mitigation Program with the hope of finding a new space that we could afford. In a competitive process that included over 20 interested nonprofits, the city chose to award ATC with an office space in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
Today, we could not be more thrilled to announce that we have moved into our brand new, long-term home at 167 Jessie Street!
At The Crossroads would not be where it is today without the generous support from people who believe in our youth and our organization. Last year, we launched the Building Home Campaign to raise the funds for the construction of our new office and the expansion of our programs. It’s thanks to the generosity of our community members and the city that we were able to build an office that will be a home-base for our youth and our entire community for decades to come.
“Every detail big and small—every door, room, cabinet, wall color, and drawer—was made specifically for our youth!” -Anna Fai, Program Manager
Program Manager Anna Fai, who has been with ATC for over six years, reflected on this incredible moment for our organization: “It feels good to know that we have a foundation that was truly built to fit our clients’ needs. Every detail big and small—every door, room, cabinet, wall color, and drawer—was made specifically for our youth! In a city that continues to push out the have-nots, the word ‘home’ means so much, and having a permanent foundation to build from has changed my reality of what is possible. I am still in shock and in awe of the opportunities that have opened up to us because of our new home; this is a very exciting moment for At The Crossroads and for our work with the most disconnected youth on the streets of San Francisco.”
While we still have some work to do before we are fully unpacked and adjusted to the new space, it’s a wonderful feeling to know that we have finally arrived at our long-term home. Please check out the photos below to get a glimpse of our new digs.