Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we step into 2025, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and optimism for the future of our community and the work we are doing together. The Urban League of San Diego County has always been committed to empowering individuals and families, and the past year has been a testament to the resilience and determination of those we serve.

2024 brought many challenges, but it also showcased the unwavering spirit of our community. Together, we have made significant strides in advancing economic equality, educational opportunities, and housing resources. Our impact report reflects these successes, underscoring the vital role we play in fostering a thriving, equitable future for all San Diegans.

Our hearts go out to the individuals and families recently impacted by the January 2025 Fires in Southern California. Just yesterday, San Diego apparently experienced the Great Floods of January 2024. We encourage everyone to have an evacuation plan that places "life" over belongings and properties first.

In 2025, we will continue to build on this momentum. We are committed to ensuring that every individual in San Diego County has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of background or circumstance. From expanding access to education, housing, financial education, health and wellness, and workforce development to advocating for systemic change, we remain steadfast in creating a stronger, more inclusive community.

As we reflect on the work we’ve done, we also look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead. With your continued support, we will embrace the new year with hope, determination, and a shared commitment to building a brighter future for all.

Thank you for your unwavering support, and here's to a year of thriving together in 2025!

Warmest regards,

Al Abdallah

President & CEO

Urban League of San Diego County

San Diego Foundation Commits $4 Million to Make College a Reality for Local Students Furthest From Opportunity & the Urban League of San Diego County is Included

Two local donors also gave $1.5 million to the SDF program that helps local students experiencing homelessness in the foster care system and/or learning English prepare for, pay for, and graduate from college.

January 6, 2025 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Foundation (SDF) announced today that it is committing $4 million over four years to its education initiative that helps local high school students experiencing homelessness in the foster care system and/or learning English prepare for, pay for, and graduate from college. The $1 million in annual SDF Community Scholars Initiative funding will support nonprofit partners and student scholarships.

“For nearly 50 years, San Diego Foundation has responded to critical community needs,” said Mark Stuart, President & CEO of SDF. “The success of our region depends on local students, especially those furthest from opportunity, receiving the assistance they need to graduate from high school and prepare for college and careers that will support them and their families.”

The SDF Community Scholars Initiative works with nonprofit partners to provide local students with tutoring, personal counseling and mentorship, scholarships, and academic and financial aid advising and application assistance to support their high school and college success. The program focuses on students who are the least likely to graduate from high school and enter college.

According to data from the California Department of Education, 84.6% of San Diego County students who started high school four years prior graduated during the 2023 – 2024 academic year. However, significant disparities exist for some student populations during the same period, with data showing that:

• 69.4% of local English learners graduated from high school
• 49.8% of local foster youth graduated from high school
• 62.8% of local students experiencing homelessness graduated from high school

Two significant gifts were also made to the SDF Community Scholars Initiative to support scholarships, including a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor and the other a $500,000 matching gift from the Barbara Monroe Scholarship Fund at SDF.

“We are grateful to our donors for these significant gifts that will help local young people pursue a quality education and grow our region’s future leaders,” said Mark Stuart, President & CEO, SDF. “These two gifts demonstrate the 50 years of trust with our donors and nonprofit partners to make a difference in the lives of San Diegans.”

The two gifts align with Fifty & Forward, a multi-year grantmaking and fundraising campaign that SDF publicly launched in 2024. The goal of the ambitious campaign is to partner with donors to grant $500 million to local nonprofits supporting education, children and families, and the environment while fundraising $1 billion to help shape San Diego’s future. To learn more about how San Diegans can amplify their impact together, visit SDFoundation.org/50.

As part of its four-year commitment, SDF awarded $935,000 in programming grants to 10 nonprofits. Each nonprofit partner will provide wraparound services that support student success, from tutoring and academic and personal counseling to college and financial aid application support. Grantees include:

• A Step Beyond – $125,000 annually to support English language learners in North County San Diego.
• Barrio Logan College Institute – $125,000 annually to support English language learners in El Cajon, Chula Vista and Barrio Logan.
• First Gen Scholars – $125,000 annually to support English language learners, foster youth, and students experiencing homelessness in City Heights.
• Just in Time for Foster Youth and The Ed Ladder – $150,000 (total) annually to support former and current foster youth.
• Monarch School Project – $60,000 annually to support students experiencing homelessness.
• Teens Rise Foundation – $100,000 annually to support local English language learners in South San Diego County.
• Urban League of San Diego County and Doors of Change – $150,000 (total) annually to support students experiencing homelessness.
• Young and Prosperous Foundation – $100,000 annually to support local students including English language learners, foster youth and students experiencing homelessness in southeastern San Diego.

The 10 nonprofits will also receive scholarship support for their students. In addition to the program grants, two local college access nonprofit organizations, Reality Changers and Ocean Discovery Institute, received $50,000 for student scholarships.

“Our gratitude for this opportunity goes beyond the grant dollars received,” said Teens Rise Foundation Executive Director Gaby Millán, a first-generation college graduate who grew up in South San Diego County. “This partnership allows us to increase our capacity and our impact in creating a pathway to ensure our students achieve their goals. We will change the life trajectories of families and communities as students become an inspiration and provide hope to those around them.”

Since 2017, the SDF Community Scholars Initiative has supported 710 first-generation college students from low-income families and underrepresented communities with over $1.9 million in scholarships. To learn more about and give to the SDF Community Scholars Initiative, visit SDFoundation.org/CSI.

Are you passionate about the health and wellness of our community? Do you work in the health wellness industry? Do you have a skill that can benefit the advancement of health and wellness equity in our community? If so, we need you! Our community needs you! Sign up today using the link below. If you have questions, please send an email to info@sdul.org.

We want to help you with tools to "Thrive in 2025"!

Do you have a business that provides health and wellness for individuals and families in the County of San Diego, Orange County, or the Inland Empire?

We are creating a Health & Wellness Directory housed on the Urban League of San Diego County website. This will include a behavioral health directory and a general health and wellness directory. According to the attendees of our Fireside Chats, areas in our communities lack health resources and need more urgent care facilities, especially ones open after 5 p.m. Our young families need a directory and a resource toolkit that includes accepted insurance information and medical professionals with cultural sensitivity training for diverse community members. This will be an online business list versus a case management site. Individuals will be directed to contact hotlines if they need to speak to a live person or need case management services.

This can be mental health, medical health, doula professional health, promotoras/ community health worker, physical health, fitness, or nutritional health businesses. This can be small, extensive, private practice, or consulting businesses.

The 43rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on January 19, 2025.

We're excited to embark on our 43rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Parade on January 19, 2025. Like last year we'll have a 5k Walk / Fun Run and Festival in the mix of activities. It should be a great day, and we'd like you to be a part of it. Whether you are a Parade or 5K participant, Festival Vendor, Volunteer, Sponsor, or coming down to partake as an attendee, we welcome you to join us.

Please spread the word and visit our websites below for more information! See you on January 19, 2025!

The 5K and Harmony Health Fest will begin at 9:00 a.m., and the parade will begin at 11 a.m.

• Join our Facebook page and stay up to date with our activities! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1766006837054765
• MLK Weekend Website = https://www.sandiegoalphas.com/sdmlkweekend
• MLK 5K Walk / Fun Run Website = https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/SanDiego/AlphaFoundationMLK5KRunW

Brian E. Samuels, Vice President & MLK Parade Chairman

Cell: 309-287-0215

Email: SDMLKparade@sandiegoalphas.com

Parade site: https://www.sandiegoalphas.com/mlk-parade

San Diego Alpha Foundation: https://sdalphafoundation.org/

The Young Legislators Program (YLP) is an educational program sponsored by the Office of Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, M.D. of the 39th Senate District. The goal of the program is to equip our youth with the skills and knowledge to consider a career in government or public service, and an opportunity to learn about the state legislative process, current events, leadership development, financial literacy, and more. 

The Young Legislators will meet for six monthly sessions from April through September, on the 4th Wednesdays (except July) from 5pm-7pm at the La Mesa Spring Valley School District Administration Building.

Selection Criteria: 

• Open to high school sophomores and juniors who live or attend school in the 39th Senate District. 
• Must submit official high school transcript. 
• Must complete application form including short essays. 
• Must be able to commit to the scheduled sessions. 

Program Dates: 

• Session #1: April 23, 2025
• Session #2: May 28, 2025
• Session #3: June 25, 2025
• Session #4: July 30, 2025
• Session #5: August 27, 2025
• Session #6: September 24, 2025

You must submit your application by March 1, 2025 to be considered. Upon admission to the program, students must submit a participating agreement. We expect our Young Legislators to demonstrate characteristics for collaborative learning and integrity including adaptability, initiative, respect, and maturity. The attire for each session is business casual unless otherwise noted. 

Cal-SOAP is hosting its 2nd annual Countywide Financial Aid Blitz on January 25th from 9 am-12 pm in partnership with several community-based organizations and higher educational institutions. The blitz will ensure that any student in SD County can go to one of 25 strategically located host sites to get assistance with financial aid forms. The goal is to get as many student submissions for FAFSA and the CA Dream Act as possible on this regional day of action. Last year this event supported 1,000 students at 20 locations, this year we expanded and hope to reach more students! Check out the blog post Cecilia Morales from the San Diego Foundation wrote about the 2024 event. 

Sending the student/parent registration link for you to also share with students in your networks.