About AYC

Mission

Asian Youth Center (AYC) is a community-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization (EIN #33-0383691) whose mission is to empower low-income, immigrant, and at-risk youth, of all communities, to overcome barriers to success through the provision of culturally and linguistically competent education, employment, and social services. We help youth succeed in school, at work, and in life!

History

In 1989, the Asian Youth Project was established by the Asian Task Force of the United Way to fill a gap in critical social services and health needs of Asian immigrant youth and families in the San Gabriel Valley. In 1990, the Asian Youth Project applied for independent nonprofit status and was renamed the Asian Youth Center.

Over the years the agency has grown from a small annual budget of $160,000, serving less than 100 youth in a small geographic area, to the organization it is today, with an annual budget of more than $4 million, serving more than 1,400 youth and their families over almost a third of Los Angeles County, California.

Along the way, AYC expanded its scope and services to include youth and families of all ethnicities, while still retaining its core cultural and linguistic competence with Asian immigrants. Today, AYC provides culturally appropriate services in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Spanish, and English. Currently, AYC has offices in San Gabriel, Huntington Park, Hawthorne, Pomona and Lancaster. Our combined facilities in San Gabriel have recreation areas, an indoor basketball court, a computer lab, classrooms, and office space.

Brief Organizational Timeline

1989: Asian Youth Project established by the Asian Task Force of the United Way. Its founding members included May L. To and Judy Chu, before she was the first Chinese-American woman elected to Congress.
1990: Asian Youth Project becomes a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is renamed the Asian Youth Center (AYC).
1996: AYC wins an At-Risk Youth Competitive Grant from the Open Space District, allowing the agency to acquire and develop its headquarters in San Gabriel, CA.
1997: Renovations for the acquired building are completed, and the Tawa Youth Center located at 100 Clary Avenue in San Gabriel, CA opens for youth and families.

2003: AYC opens an Annex Building located at 232 Clary Avenue in San Gabriel, CA.
2011: The Annex Building is renamed the May L. To Youth Center, in loving memory of AYC's founding Executive Director.
2015: AYC opens the Michael D. Antonovich Administration Office and May L To Memorial Garden located at 300 S. San Marino Avenue in San Gabriel, CA.
2019: Closing of 323 building and moved EES services into on school campuses in AUSD and SGUSD.
2020: Asian Youth Center adopted YPLD services from AAAJ-LA which expanded our services into the LAUSD in YPLD.
2020: Emergency Food Program expansion
2021: Asian Youth Center was granted Non Profit of the Year by Senator Susan Rubio