Who We Are
Human Services Association (HSA) is a private nonprofit agency whose principal mission is to provide families with compassionate and comprehensive care to promote wellness and build strong communities. HSA was founded in Bell Gardens in 1940 as an outreach effort of the Presbyterian Church USA, when floods in the area highlighted the pre-existing and growing problems of poverty in Bell Gardens and surrounding southeast Los Angeles County communities. Today, HSA serves over 20,000 clients annually on a non-sectarian basis with a range of services that addresses the unique and shared needs of clients of all ages.
Mission
Our mission is to provide families with compassionate and comprehensive care to promote wellness and build strong communities.
Our History
Human Services Association (HSA) was founded in 1940 as an outreach effort of the Presbyterian Church, when the floods in the southeast area highlighted the pre-existing problems of poverty in Bell Gardens and surrounding cities. While HSA remains affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, all services have been administered on a non-sectarian basis since 1975.
HSA’s patterns of service have evolved since its founding to meet the needs of the community. In the early years, under the name Westminster Center, recreation programs and group work was the focus. Thereafter, Westminster Center changed its name to Bell Gardens Community Center and become a multi-functional social service agency. Staff and volunteers provided direct services and additional services were provided onsite through collaborative work with other agencies. In 1974-1975, the organization envisioned expanding human services into the cities of southeast Los Angeles by increasing services and capacity for funding. This resulted in the incorporation of the organization and adoption of the name Human Services Association. Since then, HSA has emerged as the largest community-based nonprofit organization in southeast Los Angeles, providing an array of comprehensive services that support individuals throughout their lifespan, and serving clients throughout Los Angeles County.
Our Values
HSA works to promote an internal culture that upholds the following values to help guide our activities, policies, and services in order to achieve our mission and vision. Our values demonstrate our commitment to the individuals and families we serve, as well as to our staff and partners. We are individually and collectively responsible for upholding the following:
Leadership: We demonstrate leadership by striving to lead by example, providing guidance and clear, concise, decision-making directives. Effective leadership requires confidence, a clear vision, and an understanding of roles and expectations.
Accountability: We demonstrate accountability when we acknowledge and accept personal and corporate responsibility for our actions, decision, policies, values, and adhere to high standards.
Transparency: We demonstrate a commitment to transparency when we maintain a high level of visibility, clarity, openness, and communication.
Integrity: We demonstrate integrity by knowing and doing what is right with respect and honesty.
Excellence: We demonstrate excellence when we work to achieve a high level of professionalism in our actions and behaviors. We achieve excellence when we use knowledge, skills, understanding, and practical ability to deliver superb services to the individuals and families we serve.