Originally established in 1992 by physicians, medical residents’ community advocates, and affiliates of the Department of Family Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, RFKI began with delivering free health screenings and referrals, and RFKI’s offices were at one time located across from the county-operated Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Our priority is to serve marginalized, vulnerable, and low-income populations that include Latinx and African Americans; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender residents; individuals with mental health challenges; the senior population; immigrant individuals and families; the homeless; and the medically uninsured.

Today, our services have grown to include: family advocacy; parenting and nutritional classes; physical activity/fitness classes; tobacco education; health workshops; connecting clients to medical homes; health fairs; mental health workshops and conferences; health conferences on environmental pollution; parenting support groups for children with disabilities; domestic violence outreach and education; enrollment into CalFresh and Medi-Cal programs; referrals to food pantries; legal assistance; housing issues; employment and career counseling; behavioral health counseling and medical service and referrals. Our communities of focus are Wilmington, Carson, Harbor City/Harbor Gateway, Lomita, and San Pedro.

From inception, RFKI has worked diligently to meaningfully engage and cultivate ties within the low-income communities that we serve by providing free culturally appropriate health, social, and educational services. Through the years, this has earned the trust, respect, and appreciation of local elected officials, government organizations, allied service providers, and perhaps most importantly, the communities we serve.

RFKI’s work has earned the organization numerous awards and recognition as Organization of the Year twice, with commendations from Congressional offices, the California Senate and Assembly Members, LA Supervisors, the District 15 City Council, and the LAUSD Board of Education, and most importantly, key public health policy victories that help address issues of inequity, social justice, and social determinants of health among vulnerable, marginalized, and underserved communities.