When Felix Sablan looks back on his youth, he remembers how hard it could feel navigating life as a young adult, facing challenges without always having someone to turn to who truly understood his experience.
For many young people, that feeling is still all too familiar. That’s why Felix is passionate about his work as a board member with the Union of Pan Asian Communities (UPAC).
“At UPAC, we believe every person – regardless of their circumstance – deserves dignity, opportunity and a chance to thrive,” he explains.
Decades of Support
Founded in 1974, UPAC started as a mission to support San Diego’s Asian and Pacific Islander communities – and for many years, was the only bilingual, bicultural, multi-service agency serving San Diego’s Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.
Over the years, that mission has evolved into something much larger – a movement to unite people across cultures. Today, UPAC’s staff speaks more than 30 languages and dialects – ensuring services are accessible, culturally responsive and tailored to meet the unique needs of diverse communities.
“Our hope and our purpose are to instill a level of empowerment to communities and families and children that don’t have the access to meaningful interventions to help them thrive,” he says.
Providing Culturally Competent Care
At UPAC, culturally competent care is woven into every service they provide.
That means delivering support in ways that reflect and respect the cultural backgrounds, languages and traditions of the individuals and families they serve. It’s a recognition that effective care isn’t one-size-fits-all – it needs to account for the different experiences, values and histories people bring with them.
This can look like offering services in a person’s preferred language, incorporating traditional healing practices, or creating spaces that feel familiar, inclusive and safe.
By taking the time to understand the communities they work with, UPAC helps build the trust needed for people to feel comfortable seeking help – a big step in making services truly accessible.
A Partner in Tough Times
As UPAC’s services have grown to meet the needs of San Diego’s increasingly diverse population, the demand continues to rise – creating a need for partnerships, like with San Diego Foundation (SDF).
“San Diego Foundation is to UPAC what we are to the community,” Felix shares. “They help us fill in the gaps when times are tough, ensuring no one falls through the cracks.”
Through the Fifty & Forward campaign, SDF is helping nonprofits like UPAC not only sustain their work – but expand their reach, breaking cycles of trauma and creating pathways to brighter futures for thousands of families and youth in the region.
This collaboration helps ensure that UPAC’s services remain accessible and responsive to the people who need them most – today and in the future.
A Shared Commitment to Children & Families
The partnership between UPAC and SDF is part of a broader effort to support the well-being of Children & Families across the region. To support Children & Families in the region, SDF is working to help nearly 700,000 residents under the age of 18 – including 200,000 under the age of 5 – grow, learn and thrive.
This works includes the Healthy Children & Families initiative, which helps ensure equitable access to programs that support family health and well-being.
By partnering with organizations like UPAC, SDF helps make sure that culturally competent, community-centered services remain accessible to the families who need them most.
Together, it’s about helping to create a stronger, healthier San Diego – where every child and every family can build a stable, thriving future.
