2.22.05

Good for SOMA!

Cutting Ribbons & Opening Doors

By Betsey Culp

Everybody loves a party. On Monday, the City of Refuge United Church threw a bash that rivaled the city’s toniest art openings. Channeling Pat Steger, the SF Call attended.

Several years ago the church established the Ark House on Howard as a haven for homeless LGBT young people. Now the church has carried its ministry across the street to 30 Harriet, where it opened the Yvette A. Flunder Community Center. The “state of the art center where young people will have the opportunity for hands on education in computer skills and technology as well as video/film development and production” is named for the church’s founder and senior pastor, who shepherded the project from the outset, raising money, finding a building, encouraging contractors, and cajoling the mayor into locating additional funding.

The morning was sunny, a small window in the storms. The street sparkled. So did the Center. Take a look.