Barrio Action Youth and Family Center began over thirty years ago as a grassroots organization focusing on the development of community youth and their families living in El Sereno and its adjoining communities. Due in part to a sequence of two highly effective leaders, the organization grew its programs and its level of responsiveness to community needs consistently and thoughtfully. Its niche as the only non-profit organization in El Sereno and its increasing capacity as an organization led to the development of a large scale and successful capital project culminating in the move to a state of the art site, cooperatively operated by Barrio Action Group and the City of Los Angeles. The new space opened to the public in February of 2008.