At Pacific Center, we’ve always known that joy is more than a feeling; it’s a key to survival and a way to heal–even as the atrocities continue to fall on us.

For LGBTQIA2S+ communities, joy is radical and foundational. In the midst of oppression and terror, joy is what allows us to dream, to connect, and to keep fighting for a world where everyone belongs. It’s what leads us to justice–one moment, one story, one community at a time. And, joy is what has sustained this organization for more than 50 years, and our community since time immemorial. 

Today we are going deeper; we’re using joy as our strength and justice as our direction.

Justice is where our story began, even before the radical movement for our rights led by our ancestors Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and our recent loss, beloved Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. Through the generations, our ancestors have stood their ground and fought for what is right. 

Now it is our time to continue the fight for our rights. 

This year, too often it feels like the world continues to change in favor of those who would eradicate us; state funding for our communities is being cut, even here in California. Corporate DEI support is vanishing. National anti-Queer rhetoric is growing louder. And once again, LGBTQIA2S+ communities are being left to fend for ourselves. 

2025 has forced us as a community to call on the example they have set because once again LGBTQIA2S+ communities are being attacked and left to be our own advocates.

We need your partnership now more than ever to bring our community From Joy to Justice… 

Joy to Justice means that…. we will continue to provide life-saving services to the LGBTQIA2S+ community. 

Joy to Justice means that…. we will continue to provide FREE and sliding scale mental health services that affirm and reflect our identities.

Joy to Justice means that.… we will continue to provide safe, intergenerational spaces for our community to connect and grow.

Joy to Justice means that…. we will continue to provide FREE LGBTQIA2S+ workshops that help families, allies, and community members learn to better support their loved ones.

Joy to Justice means that…. we will continue to make sure the next generation of Queer and Trans youth has somewhere to turn – especially when schools, homes, and systems fail them. 

Each of these moments began with joy. Together, we can turn them into justice here at Pacific Center for Human Growth.

For five decades, Pacific Center has stood at the intersection of healing and activism. We’re not just a community center, we’re a space of renewal. A clinic. A meeting place. A chosen family.

When you walk through our doors, we always do our best to meet you with warmth, affirmation, and safety. Whether it’s a therapy appointment, a peer group, a cultural training, or resources for a parent looking to support their trans child–this is where community care happens.

And every year we want to expand that impact further.

This year, we made history by hosting the first-ever Berkeley Pride street festival right here in the city where Pacific Center was born. It was a bold act of visibility, culture, and joy. And it was only possible because people like you said yes.

But Pride doesn’t pay for itself. Neither do therapy sessions, rent, or staff. Or scholarships for BIMPOC clinicians. Or group facilitation. Or security. Or keeping the lights on.

That’s where you come in.

As we close out the year, we invite you to be part of this movement to justice. We need to raise $50,000 by December 31st! Your gift, as always, directly impacts the work that matters:

• Free and sliding-scale therapy for LGBTQIA2S+ people across Alameda County

• Culturally affirming support groups serving 600+ participants each year

• Trainings that help families, schools, and workplaces best support Queer and Trans folks

• Individual and community care for those navigating grief, isolation, discrimination, or crisis

• Berkeley Pride 2026

• And more!

If you’ve ever felt or witnessed the impact of Pacific Center – directly or indirectly – this is your moment to show up and help us turn the tide. Your support transforms our collective joy into essential justice.

Your donation ensures that Pacific Center remains a place where joy thrives and justice grows. You’re not just donating to a cause; you’re investing in a legacy. You’re making sure that in a moment when so much is being taken away, Pacific Center remains strong. For all of us.

Thank you for standing with us in the belief that joy can be a powerful, healing, and transformative force that brings justice into existence. Together, we are building a future rooted in both love and liberation.