Our History:
The Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center is a non-profit, community- based social service center located in East Central Spokane, one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Spokane County. The Center was created over 40 years ago as a community response to a community need.
In the summer of 1970, the bethel AME Church of Spokane held a summer camp for 42 economically disadvantaged youth. By the end of the weekend, the organizers knew Spokane needed a year-round program to support youth development. A grassroots committee came together from diverse ethnic backgrounds, creating the Southeast Spokane Youth Center, later
to become the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center.
During its first 10 years, the center focused on providing recreation, education and cultural programs for low-income children and youth. Over the next two decades, the Center continually expanded its scope of programming, adding integrated family services to provide support for children and families within the context of honoring cultural diversity and fostering community relationships.
Today, the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center is a regionally recognized community social service center providing comprehensive education, social services and cultural enrichment programs for children and families. We are a leader in providing research-based best practice services that ensure school success and healthy families, while maintaining a strong neighborhood base to help build the East Central community.
Continuing the work of its original founders, the Center remains responsive to community needs. Living out the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. the Center continues to pave the way for a more equitable future by encouraging families to take responsibility for their success-preparing children to succeed in school and life, providing leadership opportunities for youth, celebrating cultural diversity in Spokane, and fostering meaningful connections between community members from all walks of life.