One semester's tuition at community college

The South Bay Center for Community Development (SBCC) is a private non-profit agency whose mission is to empower low-income individuals and communities through economic development initiatives, the delivery of family support services, and community organizing. Established in 1973, SBCC began as a grassroots community mental health center focusing on residents in the South Bay of Los Angeles, providing free and sliding scale counseling. Soon after, the organization became recognized as a leader on child abuse and well being issues, expanding its scope of work to include policy advocacy, in school treatment, and direct services to at risk youth. During this expansion, SBCC's leadership came to view poverty as the core root of child abuse and family well being and developed a series of strategies to build the economic capacities of its clients.