JEDI at
My Friend’s Place

JUSTICE - EQUITY - DIVERSITY - INCLUSION

My Friend’s Place recognizes homelessness as a
social, racial and economic justice issue.

We are resolute in our commitment to uplift all youth experiencing homelessness while rigorously, continuously, and concretely aligning our trauma-informed service delivery and organizational framework with guiding principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

My Friend’s Place

JEDI Guiding Principles

  • 1

    Anti-Racist & LGBTQ + Affirming

    My Friend’s Place acknowledges and condemns racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism and all forms of oppression.

    We recognize that the current and historic impact of oppression, colonialism and white supremacy have resulted in a world where youth of color experiencing homelessness continue to be disproportionately and systematically marginalized.

    Because the young people we serve have a myriad of intersectional identities, it is important to specifically name racism and homophobia because youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth disproportionately experience homelessness.

    My Friend’s Place commits to being anti-racist and LGBTQ+ affirming.

  • 2

    Confront Systems of Oppression

    My Friend’s Place seeks to address the consequences of systemic oppression

    Including mental and behavioral health, histories of juvenile and adult incarceration, as well as foster care involvement, and understands that these additional intersectional points of power and oppression shape how young people show up and experience the world.

  • 3

    Create Equitable Opportunities

    My Friend's Place is devoted to consistently reformulating and adjusting our program to ensure youths’ fullness of identities and experiences are met with dignity, compassion and care.

    My Friend's Place will create opportunities for every young person to feel safe, reimagine, envision and self-define a path of empowerment.

  • 4

    Disrupt & Dismantle Racism

    My Friend's Place will aggressively name, address, disrupt and dismantle racism and discrimination, both within our own organization and in all systems that impact the young people and their wellbeing.

    We remain resolute in our commitment to the youth we serve, as well as our community, and we will unapologetically model and advocate for a more consciously just, equitable, diverse, and inclusionary world.

JEDI Committee

In June 2020, My Friend’s Place formally launched our JEDI Committee, comprised of staff, board members and alumni. Meeting biweekly, the JEDI Committee—alongside Dr. Allen Lipscomb, LCSW, JEDI partner at My Friend’s Place—reviews, recommends and helps to implement policy and procedure to ensure all parts of the organization are upholding our institutional values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Additionally, the JEDI Committee partners with other staff at My Friend’s Place to create learning opportunities for both youth and community members, including our 2020 virtual panels Youth Homelessness Is Not Colorblind and Out & Unsheltered; 2021 virtual discussion Young, Black and Homeless and the first-ever JEDI youth event, Pull Up: Celebrating Youth of Color in the Fight Against Racism.

JEDI Committee Founding Members:

  • Lexi B.

  • Heather Carmichael

  • Erin Casey

  • Nisha Cha

  • Toni Cooper

  • Darielle Crawford

  • Gerry De La Rosa

  • Susan Dutra

  • Cheryl Hayward

  • David Jarrett

  • Jeff Katz

  • Dr. Allen Lipscomb

  • Jesenya Maldonado

  • Edson Martinez

  • Marie P.

  • Kayla White

  • Siodhachan X.

JEDI Resources

Here are some recommendations from My Friend’s Place staff as to what we’re reading, watching and listening to as it relates to JEDI work

Together We Can!

Assist and inspire homeless youth to build self-sufficient lives.