Huckleberry Youth Programs

About Huckleberry Youth Programs

Our tradition of caring for Bay Area youth began in 1967, during the "Summer of Love" when large numbers of youth from across the country came to San Francisco to participate in the jubilant moment of change and newfound freedom. Many of those arriving in the city were runaway teens who had left their homes and families in other cities and states and then wandered the Haight without money, friends, or connections. Huckleberry House, the first shelter for runaway youth in the nation, was developed to help these vulnerable youth reconnect with their families and return to the safety of their homes. Huckleberry used its experience in helping runaway youth to inform its advocacy for the creation of a network of runaway shelters nationally. That dream was realized in 1974 with the passage of the Runaway Youth Act, which today funds more than 350 programs nationally modeled on Huckleberry House. Throughout the decades since then, Huckleberry has continued to develop innovative programming to respond to the changing needs of youth. Today, Huckleberry is recognized nationally for its leadership in runaway and homeless youth services, adolescent health, and juvenile justice programming.