3rd Street celebrates
BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Celebrating Black History is not only about recognizing great accomplishments of the past, it is also about celebrating the current achievements of members and leaders of the Black community.

Recently, 3rd Street's Executive Director, Joi Jackson-Morgan, was recognized at the Board of Supervisors meeting by Supervisor Aaron Peskin of San Francisco's District 3, "(Joi) really stepped up during the pandemic to address a host of essential needs. During what we all know has been a tough and chaotic time. She has consistently been laser-focused on the health and wellness of Black and Brown communities at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives."

In his comments, Supervisor Peskin went on to highlight 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic's Lower Polk TAY Navigation Center. We are celebrating one year since opening our doors to Transition Age Youth (TAY), ages 18-27, experiencing homelessness. Peskin pointed out the obstacles 3rd Street faced while opening the City's first navigation center for TAY during a pandemic with ever-changing safety guidelines and a reduced workforce.

In its first year, The Nav--as 3rd Street refers to it--served 207 of San Francisco's TAY population.
(From the anniversary party held in The Nav with staff and youth guests.)
In her comments, Joi made it clear that this process took a village:

I’d like to thank Mayor Breed, President Walton, and especially Supervisor Peskin, Sunny, our District 3 family, and the Lower Polk Community for welcoming us and our youth into your neighborhood and helping to challenge us and make it better for our young people. 

I’d like to thank the Youth Commission, Larkin Street’s YAB for fighting for the TAY Nav Center. I’d like to thank the 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic staff and board, HSH leadership, staff, and facilities for making sure that we succeeded in starting this up. 

To our community partners at Success Centers, SPOA and Ms. Tempi, Mr. Owen Boudry, and our janitorial team. Kristin Houk and “Auntie” April Spears for making the TAY Nav have the BEST food in the housing system, hands down. 

To the Harm Reduction Therapy Center for helping us carry out behavioral health services at the Nav when we didn’t have that behavioral support. 

To our TAY System of Care folks at DPH and Shelter Health for providing other health services at the Nav. 

To Crankstart and Hellman Foundations for investing in wellness and behavioral health at the Navigation Center. 

To our housing partners at Larkin Street, Huckleberry, the LGBT Center, LYRIC, Booker T, the HOT Team, and Felton.

And the mentors I reached out to learn more about how to conduct these services: Tomiquia Moss, Ms. Gwen Westbrook (United Council), Ms. Pamela Gilmore (Bayview Hunters Point Foundation), Ms. Shari Woolridge, Mr. Joe Wilson, Ms. Patricia Doyle, Tramecia Garner, Sherilyn Adams.

And most importantly to our youth for trusting 3rd Street and me to carry out your vision of low barrier safe services at the TAY Navigation Center.
Please welcome our newest team members
Team members are the lifeblood of our organization. Without their hard work, dedication, and perseverance, 3rd Street would be unable to meet the needs of the 1800 young people we serve each year. Please scroll down to meet the newest members of 3rd Street's Family.

Teddie Honey
Residential Programs Director at The Nav
"As a Bay Area native with over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, I am extremely honored to be able to join the TAY Navigation Center as its new Site Director. 

Having entered the industry as an outreach worker and slowly climbed the ranks...I see this opportunity as a culmination of all of the experience and knowledge I have gained over the years. 

Joining the team during this period of expansion and development provides me with a chance to utilize my understanding of, and dedication to, the industry of creating positive change."
J.B. Miles (Miles)
Residential Operations Manager at The Nav
"I am excited to join the team as the Residential Operations Manager at the TAY Navigation Center and support the frontline staff to continue providing high quality service to the residents.

Having worked in a number of shelter settings, I know how demanding it is to provide these services on a daily basis while also juggling so many other responsibilities and still being able to care for your own needs.

I bring a self-care focus to the work that I do and I hope to share that focus with everyone on the team."
Gregory Aragon-Farron
Behavioral Health Clinician
"I feel very fortunate and grateful to be a part of the 3rd Street family as a Behavioral Health Clinician. I am most excited about being able to bear witness to young adults creating a life for themselves, filled with meaning, understanding, and compassion towards the self.

Our own somatic and emotional narratives can be quite frightening, and yet I look forward to working with these brave, young adults that strive to further understand the way they move through the world.

As external changes undoubtedly impact our internal world, I hope that as we are trying to understand structural changes in the city we live in, we can also begin to understand our own roadmap within ourselves."
If you're interested in joining our team, we're hiring therapists, a health navigator, and more. Click the link below to see our open positions.