Every afternoon, the small, bright yellow house along Clarke Ave in East Palo Alto comes alive with youth organizing. At Youth United for Community Action, young people aren’t just learning about the challenges facing their community—they’re leading efforts to change them. From shutting down the Romic, a hazardous waste facility in EPA, to implementing rent control policies to protect the housing rights of the community, YUCA is an essential force for justice in EPA.
“We’re one of the only real youth-led organizations in EPA,” YUCA staff member Lavain Henderson said.
30 years ago, Stanford students founded YUCA, a grassroots nonprofit organization that has since made lasting impacts in EPA. YUCA continues to thrive today as a youth-led organization, primarily run by people of color in their late teens and early twenties dedicated to addressing EPA’s environmental and social issues.
“Our youth make all of the decisions, from who we hire for programming to even [deciding] what we eat while we’re in office,” Henderson said.
This youth-focused approach has allowed YUCA to create a safe space where young people feel empowered to take on leadership roles in advocating for the change they want to see. Whether it’s addressing systemic issues like housing, environmental injustice, or tackling barriers in education and economic opportunity, the youth is actively working to shape their community’s future.
After school on weekdays, students from EPA and surrounding communities gather in the YUCA house to learn about pressing local issues and how they can help. The youth begin their week with political education or life lessons led by youth organizers, which cover anything from community organizing tactics and significant EPA historical events to practical life skills.
“There’s a lot of history in our community that people don’t get taught often,” YUCA Senior Youth Organizer Moana Kofutua said. The program ensures that young people are not just informed but also prepared to act as leaders.
Throughout the week, YUCA’s participants can choose to focus on one of three core campaigns: the Housing Campaign, which advocates for affordable housing and works to fight gentrification; the Environmental Justice Campaign, which addresses local environmental issues like the toxic legacy of the Romic hazardous waste facility; and the Restorative and Transformative Justice Campaign, which is currently working to partner with the Los Robles school to implement restorative and transformative justice into its curriculum. In addition to campaign work, YUCA provides real-world training, helping youth build skills like public speaking, advocacy, and project management. Students table at recruitment events, lead housing rights workshops for the community, and host “toxic tours” at Cooley Landing to educate participants on the history of the Romic.
The YUCA pipeline plays a huge role in how the program runs. Youth begin as members, gaining experience through volunteer work and training. Those who show commitment become core members and eventually youth organizers. As youth progress through the pipeline, they gain valuable experience managing campaigns, facilitating workshops, and mentoring younger students. “Most of our staff are actually youth that have been through our pipeline,” Henderson said. “Once you get to a certain age you have to stop working at YUCA, the age is about 32 but it depends on the situation.” This practice ensures that the leadership can reflect the voices of the community’s younger generation.
The effectiveness of YUCA’s approach is evident in the lasting changes it has brought to EPA. One of its most notable achievements is the shutdown of the Romic toxic waste facility in 2007 after an 11-year campaign. The facility that once stood on Cooley Landing had been releasing toxic chemicals into the air, affecting the health of EPA residents. “People were getting asthma, cancer, and two of the community members who were in YUCA unfortunately passed from this really toxic factory,” Kofutua said.
The site where the Romic once stood remains to be a heavily contaminated area. Despite ongoing challenges, YUCA continues to fight for environmental justice, advocating for the cleanup of the site and the prevention of unsafe development.
Another major accomplishment for YUCA was the purchase of their house in 2021, a space where the organization runs their afterschool program and plans all of their events. “A few years ago, we were almost displaced,” Kofutua said. “The landlord randomly decided to put it up in the market for sale. We were given like a month to raise 1.2 million dollars to buy our house.” In partnership with EPA’s PAHALI Community Land Trust, the youth-led organization eventually managed to buy the property and permanently anchor youth organizing in the community.
The YUCA house is also home to a community garden. With support from a local farmer, they offer fresh produce to youth and their families every Thursday and Friday.
City council members often host community meetings at the house as well. YUCA is currently renovating its accessory dwelling unit to offer free shelter to youth who are going through transitional periods within housing. “We offer community here, a space where you can feel like you belong, like you’re welcomed, and a sense of safety,” Henderson said.
In the past, YUCA held an off-site program at M-A that helped recruit youth. The YUCA club was run by a past YUCA executive director who was also an M-A alumni. Today, youth organizers hope to restore the club on campus.
Looking ahead, YUCA remains committed to building a stronger, more just community for the youth of EPA. In response to concerns raised by the 2024 election results, they plan on introducing new campaigns to their program such as an immigration campaign, to address the uncertainty felt by community members. Additionally, they hope to expand their program and are currently in the process of recruiting new members.
