Kelsey Pimentel came to Larkin Street Youth Services to find her voice and her calling.
As the Program Manager of Youth Leadership, Kelsey works with 18-24 year olds looking for support, stability, and security.
She oversees our Youth Advisory Board (YAB), a group made up of young people wanting to empower youth and advocate for better services in the city.
“I want to be able to share youth stories so that we can continue to educate the community at large about how we can foster healthier communities,” said Kelsey.
Kelsey started her new role in Youth Leadership in December. Before that, she was an outreach counselor.
“I’m almost watching myself in this butterfly transformation where in December, I was a caterpillar. Now I’ve helped to elevate youth voices. There’s a lot of excitement.”
Where there is excitement there are also challenges.
Some Larkin Street youth just can’t break the cycle.
While others thrive.
Watching, supporting and helping all of the young people that come through the door, are the most rewarding parts of the work for Kelsey.
“I think Larkin Street does fantastic work. It takes a village always and the staff here is the village that supports everyone.”
Kelsey has given dozens of young people a chance.
Some even work alongside her after graduating from YAB.
The 29-year-old shines a light into the darkest corners of the city – hoping to bring young people out of the shadows and into a brighter future.
It’s a path she plans to illuminate for many years to come.
“My favorite part about Larkin Street is the youth themselves. They keep me young. So that’s super fun, it’s energetic, it’s fast paced. I love it!”
