Who We Are
- City of Dreams is a registered, 501(c)3 organization founded in 2004 and based in San Francisco.
- We serve youth ages 9-18 living in San Francisco’s low-income housing communities including Hunter’s Point, Hunter’s View, Sunnydale, Oakdale, and Alice Griffith.
- We are a volunteer-based organization. We are supported by more than 200 volunteers and 46 year-round, dedicated mentors.
- Our program is unique. It is designed to build young people’s developmental assets by teaching 12 fundamental life lessons at 24 experiential learning events throughout the Bay Area each year. Trained staff and caring mentors provide support and mentorship for each young person enrolled in City of Dreams.
- Our goal is to help kids identify dreams, set goals, and make healthy life choices:
- To stay free of drugs and alcohol * To avoid teen pregnancy * To stay away from gang participation. * To excel in school.
- We work with more than 26 community-based partner organizations and service providers to provide a broad network of support for the youth we serve.
OUR STORY
City of Dreams was founded by Martin Higgins and Anthony Wilbert, two San Francisco residents with a vision to help our city’s most challenged youth. The mentorship program was born from personal experience.
On April 13, 2002, while volunteering his time at an Easter egg hunt, met a little girl that touched his heart and forever changed his life. That chance meeting inspired him to dedicate his time to a family of five children living in the Hunter’s Point housing community in San Francisco. He worked with his kids for two years, creating the mentorship philosophy that would later be applied at City of Dreams. He continues his dedication to this family today. His passion lies in attending the events with the kids and you can always find him somewhere in the mix at each event.