In our pursuit to empower youth for a bright future, we are inspired by the story of Nicole.* Nicole, a member of our Azul Leadership Cohort, is a young woman who has a deep desire to make an impact on the lives of urban youth. She has been growing in her relationship with God and is exploring her independence, identity, and calling. Nicole has been attending City College in San Francisco and is eager to discover the plans that God has in store for her future in ministry

At BJM, we understand the power of belonging and community building. Our staff is intentionally present, always on the sidelines cheering on students at sporting events, creative performances, and other important milestones. It's these consistent interactions of love and belonging that make our youth group, IGNITE, feel like a family to our students.

As we approach the holiday season, it's a perfect moment to pause and reflect on the abundance of blessings that God has graciously poured out on our ministry this year. At Because Justice Matters, we’ve witnessed His favor in ways that have left us in awe—doors have opened, hearts have been healed, and lives have been transformed.

Stepping onto the stage with a sense of purpose, the dance students and Azul Cohort shared their hearts whether through dancing, spoken word, or video montage. The connection with the audience was palpable, resulting in enthusiastic applause that acknowledged each performer's courage and authenticity. However, a different kind of magic was taking shape backstage.

Empowering young adults through creativity is a transformative journey that can bring forth resilience, strength, and a newfound sense of purpose. As young people delve into leadership and creativity programs like the Because Justice Matters Azul cohort, they embark on a path of self-discovery, reflection, and empowerment.

One of the many beautiful things about living in San Francisco is that you are “one skip and a hop” away from wine country. This past year, I had the privilege to go to Sonoma during the early stages of the harvest season. As you can imagine, there is an abundance of grapes on every vine. Some branches were too heavy for all the grapes that the vine provided, so inevitably they ended up on the ground.

We met *Mia for the first time (name changed for privacy) in the club during our Outreach Night in December. We gave her a gift bag and shared that we were available to connect outside the club and provide support. "This is amazing that this exists, this is so sweet that you do this, I'd love to meet up with you guys," she said with warmth and openness. We offered to pray with her and she accepted.

If you know anything about Hispanic culture, it is that the food is not just for sustenance, it’s a love language. Whether from moms, dads, “hijos,” “tias,” or “abuelas,” everything is made with love and care. It is an important way to pass down traditions from generation to generation. And for immigrant communities, to remember their homeland.

Here in our city, we are blessed to have diversity from so many countries in Latin America. As we continue highlighting stories for Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to share some beautiful words from Nelida, one of the moms from Peru. Enjoy her words as well as a delicious Peruvian recipe.

For years, we dreamt with God about a ministry that would provide a space where system-impacted young people who are transitioning into adulthood can participate in holistic development. We are thrilled to say that the first Azul leadership cohort was launched on September 5th! As we near the end of our first semester with the cohort, we celebrate how clear God’s purpose and plan has been in bringing these three specific young adults to journey and growth together.

Our mission at BJM is to build pathways for brighter futures for women and girls in urban communities. And to make these brighter futures happen for youth in our dance classes, we aim to partner with God in how He created us to be.  As Christians, we call this “heart, soul, & mind, body. “

Being system-impacted could involve directly experiencing systems such as the child welfare system, the juvenile justice system, or the immigration system. More broadly, these young people could be affected by systems of discrimination and prejudice within society and a lack of connections and opportunities within the larger socioeconomic structures. Childhood instability could involve parental harm or neglect, experiencing life as an immigrant to the U.S., socioeconomic challenges, or lack of neighborhood safety. 

After a lovely Christmas break, we relaunched our programs and we were so excited to see everyone!

As the year winds down, it feels like such a natural time to look back and remember what has happened, as we are ushered into the Advent season with a time of Thanksgiving. I invite you to position your hearts with me in a posture of gratitude. Whether the year was filled with many celebrations and joyous occasions or the year was filled with difficulty and hope that we might pass through as quickly as possible, I want to invite you to be curious about this year in God’s presence

We live in a beautiful city filled with green spaces, however, there is nothing like the redwoods of Northern California!! Stepping into a canopy of redwoods feels like stepping into a cathedral, where your attention is immediately directed to the Creator. We (the BJM staff) had the opportunity to take 17 of the youth in the BJM community on a summer camp retreat into this natural cathedral to consider the Creator.

As we look back to remember and celebrate, we oftentimes realize there was a thread that was stitched into the fabric of a season. The thread of Q2 for our ministry can be summed up in the lyrics of one of the songs our dancers performed at our Spring recital.

Because Justice Matters is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) operating in the Tenderloin since 2008. Our mission is to build pathways to brighter futures for women, girls, and families in urban communities, whose immediate needs are often unseen and unmet

As we end our Hispanic Heritage Month series, we are ending on a sweet note. Latino culture is known for its savory tamales but another spin on this is their sweet Tamales. The intentionality and hours taken to make this dish are a reflection of the resilience, persistence, and love of this culture toward their family and friends. To not give up when things get hard but always be full of faith that God will come through.

As we approach the Thanksgiving season, our hearts fill with gratitude. We look back at the transformation we've witnessed in our community and marvel at the resilience, courage, and strength that women, girls, and families have shown. Bright futures realized often start with this perspective shift. Our gratitude is not just a sentiment; it's our heartfelt response to the change we see, a change that is reshaping lives and communities, one story at a time.