BY JAN & TREVOR LONG

YWAM San Francisco is situated in the heart of the Tenderloin, which is the poorest part of the city. This ministry was established in 1995. Since joining the staff in 2009 we have had the privilege of ministering to the homeless, seniors and low-income families living in one-room apartments, bringing the gospel of hope into lives where there is no hope. Over the last 100 years, the Tenderloin has seen many changes. It is San Francisco’s most diverse and unusual neighborhood. It has been a downtown residential community since shortly after the California Gold Rush in 1849, however, the name “ Tenderloin “ does not appear on any maps of San Francisco prior to the 1930s because it was originally named “St Ann’s Valley.”

One of the versions of the name Tenderloin and how it developed was the police were given an extra bonus to work there because it was a violent area and the extra money made it possible to afford the good cut of beef, the tenderloin. The first brothel was opened in 1898 and an active nightlife developed through the late 19 century with many theaters, restaurants, and hotels. Almost all of the buildings were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and were rebuilt soon afterward, many of these buildings you can still see today including the YWAM building on Ellis Street.

The Tenderloin has a long history of alternate sexualities and in the early 60s, this area became the LGBT center of the city before moving to the Castro. From the 1950s there have been places that we’re able to provide a hot meal to the homeless and a sense of community to those in need where many people from different cultures have come and settled. These days the Tenderloin is still a welcoming beacon for all. YWAM is able through God’s provision to provide a place for those in need, giving a place to drop-in, showers, restrooms, food pantry. A place where Jesus is lifted up and shared into the community.