Redwood City staple Pal Center celebrates 30 years


He has, what he described as, the “cheat code” to running the nonprofit and expanding the opportunities it provides for historically marginalized families and system impacted youth. His “roots don’t get any deeper” than growing up right where the boundaries of the city and unincorporated county intersect. 

Located at 3399 Bay Road, the Pal Center is also centered between the two. The average resident likely doesn’t know exactly where the line is between proper Redwood City and the unincorporated North Fair Oaks community, and to Martinez and the residents the Pal Center works with, it hardly matters. 

Whether the site’s location was by design 30 years ago or simply happenstance, it has served well throughout Pal’s history. 

Being right in the heart of these communities, we are so connected and involved with everything that happens, from both government agencies at the city and county, and within the neighborhoods," Martinez said. “That’s how we’re able to keep our ear to the ground.” 

Pal Center operates a variety of programs, which have historically and largely focused on children and youth, but expansion in recent years has grown the nonprofit’s reach and impact. 

Some may recall when Pal Center held a slightly different name, PAL, as an acronym for Police Athletics League or the Police Activities League. The nonprofit was established as a community-oriented extension of the Redwood City Police Department 30 years ago to provide underprivileged youth a safe place to play and deter juvenile delinquency. 

Now, just known as the Pal Center, the collaboration with the police department remains, but the center has spearheaded initiatives that go beyond recreational programming for youth. Police Chief Kristina Bell holds a seat on the Pal Center board and the two organizations meet frequently to develop strategies to better support the community. 

Pal Center staff can hear from police captains about trends they’re seeing and who may need support, while the officers can gain insight on what Pal Center staff is hearing from the community. 

“It’s about seeing where needs are emerging, where the highest need is showing up and figuring out how we can show up to meet that,” Martinez said. 

The importance of trust

Martinez and staff at the Pal Center hold this role, as a bridge between local police and the residents they serve, with incredible vigilance. The topic of trust is frequently discussed — how it's earned and why it’s crucial to their mission. 

Most days, Martinez is reminding his staff of the nonprofit’s motto: “We move at the pace of trust.” 

“I know this community has a culture and it’s built on trust,” Martinez said. “When a lot of the family members we serve have been marginalized for years, I know what’s meaningful for them. These relationships have to be authentic in order for this to work.” 

The Pal Center offers a wide range of programs and initiatives for its community. They’re designed with care and intention, and are rooted in the foundation of trust more than anything, Martinez said. 

“If we haven’t worked hard enough for [that trust] to be there, we don’t push on things,” Martinez said. “That’s how you stay true to the community and work on what’s meaningful to them. It allows us to show up in a way that shows why we’re here — that we’re here for them as people, and treating them like humans first.” 

A core element, the Community Care and Enrichment program provides upwards of 400 students a day with everything from mentoring and tutoring to arts and athletic opportunities after school and throughout the summer. 

In the last handful of years, the center has also developed its adult programming, offering bilingual wellness and health programs for those over the age of 21, with particular focus on supporting aging adults. Martinez said. 

While supporting the entire family is a focus, the expansion of services for the adults in children’s lives ultimately rewards the kids too, Martinez said. 

“This was an effort to inspire some change and some of the circumstances for some of our kids,” Martinez said. “Knowing we only had them for a handful of hours, we knew we could have an impact at home through engaging the entire family.” 

State grant

Pal Center’s impact and reach has grown during Martinez’s tenure, but he always hopes for more. The recent state grant award will help do just that. 

On Wednesday, July 1, Redwood City announced it was awarded a $4.5 million state grant to support the partnership between the Redwood City Police Department and the Pal Center and their efforts to expand youth prevention, intervention and diversion programs. 

“This grant gives Redwood City an opportunity to address public safety concerns while also investing directly in young people,” Bell said in a press release. “Our goal is to reduce illegal cannabis activity, support compliance and strengthen programs that help youth make health choices and avoid deeper involvement in the justice system.” 

It will also help roll out a new diversion program that has been in the works between the Pal Center and police department, Martinez said. 

“We’re thinking about how we can change our own systems to better coordinate the services for system impacted youth and change for more positive outcomes,” Martinez said. 

Reflecting on the centers’ 30-year legacy, Martinez’s hope for the future is to witness the “community taking care of the community” and see the center’s impact on kids and staff.

“We are already rolling out the systems that are going to help people,” Martinez said. “As much as we’re helping individuals in need, I want this organization to be a launching pad for professionals who want to be in tune with the community and want to transform the community.”