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ABOUT US
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History

The Toberman Neighborhood Center was founded by James Toberman, a prolific leader who came to the region at the behest of President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. After serving as a U.S. Revenue Assessor, Mr. Toberman served six terms as Mayor of Los Angeles. In 1903, he and his wife, Emma, established the Toberman Settlement House in memory of their son, Homer. The Toberman Settlement House was a founding organization for social service in Los Angeles, and became a safe-haven for the community’s most vulnerable youthand families. In 1904, the Tobermans entrusted the Settlement House to the Women’s Society of Christian Service later renamed the United Methodist Women, who defined the mission that remains true to our mission today. In 1937, the the organization moved from Echo Park to the Harbor community of San Pedro, and returned to the name, the Toberman Settlement House. In 2007, after 104 years of service, we became the Toberman Neighborhood Center with the completion of an $8 million dollar capital campaign and introduced the community to our current 36,000 ft2 campus.

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