San Francisco, CA. The Latino Community Foundation (LCF) is an organization whose goal is to unleash the power of Latinos in California. In response to COVID-19, the organization launched an initiative called Love Not Fear Fund which is focused on protecting Latinos from the economic burden of the pandemic. LCF raised around 1.5million dollars for the fund which was then distributed in three phases. In the first phase, the fund provided immediate relief to 47 Latino-led organizations. For the second phase, LCF gave out grants to organizations whose goals aligned with their own: building civic and economic power and investing in economic opportunities for Latinos. The third phase of the fund focuses on civic engagement and building lasting power to enable systemic change for Latinos.
Central Valley, CA Giving Circle (Pre COVID-19) Picture taken from https://latinocf.org/
Chelsea Lopez the foundation’s Program and Administrative Assistant described the foundation as “a group of individuals who want more for the Latino community because they deserve more”. In addition to the Love Not Fear Fund, LCF has also founded Giving Circle Networks across California. Latino Giving Circles are groups of individuals who come together and chose which Latino-led organizations they want to donate to. Through these Giving Circles, LCF has developed the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the country. “At the Latino Community Fund we are really trying to expand the definition of the word “philanthropist” so that anyone can be a philanthropist”, Lopez explained.
The Latino Community Foundation also focuses on politically mobilizing Latinos. This year they started a movement called “To Resist We Must Exist #Census2020” to encourage Latinos to fill out the census. As a result, 2020 saw record numbers of Latinos in its Census reports, which is an incredible accomplishment for the Latino community.
San Francisco, CA. During COVID-19 restrictions the nonprofit serving veterans, Swords to Plowshares, had to adjust several group-oriented services, especially permanent housing. Development and Communications Director Colleen Corliss stated that Swords to Plowshares faced a “huge challenge” in making sure veterans received the benefits they needed while adjusting to CDC guidelines. “We immediately had to cancel all of the congregate meals that we serve in our housing sites,” Corliss said, “and yet we still had to feed people which creates a lot more work and money to prepackage every meal for every person, for 500 vets.” This November, Swords to Plowshares and Prubechu served over 200 Thanksgiving meals to homeless veterans throughout the SF area (seen above).
Swords to Plowshares was first established in 1974 by a group of six veterans who were growing concerned that the Veterans Administration (VA) was not appropriately addressing the issues returning soldiers faced like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other debilitating conditions.
There is evidence that the VA had turned away a Vietnam veteran with undiagnosed PTSD for decades when he attempted to reach out for help. Corliss added that veterans were often denied their full benefits only because they had a less-than-honorable discharge from their military service.
The lackluster economy of the 70s, minimal benefits handed by the VA, and the divisive cultural shift Americans had for Vietnam vets caused them to struggle even more in adjusting to a new life after the war.
Veterans needed support and validation that “the military service caused some trauma, and the Department of Defense caused some suffering,” Corliss said.
Swords to Plowshares started as a safe community for veterans before being officially recognized by the VA in 1976 as a nonprofit organization formally representing the benefit claims of veterans.
Swords to Plowshares then started to provide a range of services in the coming decades to veterans that include legal support, financial advice, and housing assistance.
“Primarily, our [permanent housing] residents are seniors,” Corliss said, “all of them are formally homeless and all of them have one or more disabilities.”
As the 2020s began, the nonprofit would have to start making major adjustments to its services when the pandemic began to endanger the lives of millions of Americans.
Veterans and their families who are in the middle of transitioning to permanent housing are typically placed temporarily in hotels for a few days to a couple of weeks. However, due to the pandemic, they have been forced to stay in their hotel rooms for several months due to the slowed process of getting permanent housing.
Mental health services were another challenge as Swords to Plowshares had to cancel all group-oriented meetings which is a major part of supporting veterans with mental health issues.
Currently, Swords to Plowshares has figured out how to continue supporting veterans with “a ton of new food partners, building up our emergency housing program out of nothing, and making those folks in hotels are getting on-site case management.”
Despite Swords to Plowshares’s successes in making the necessary changes to function in the pandemic, mental health for veterans continues to be an issue due to the current limitations on group meetings.
“It’s been sort of a creativity game of what can we do to make sure that people aren’t isolated and actually engaged in the community without actually violating any of the public health placed orders,” Corliss said.
One of the major goals of Swords to Plowshares in the coming years is to find an “in-between” with normal senior living facilities and their permanent supportive housing units for veterans. Several veterans are unfit for traditional senior living facilities due to substance abuse issues, mental health needs, and other problems that require special assistance.
“In the city, there’s no such thing as a boarding care facility anymore because of greed, they’re no longer profitable,” Corliss stated, “that’s our biggest priority right now because three-quarters of our residents are seniors.”
If you would like to help Swords to Plowshares to continue providing veterans with all of its immense services, click here to donate.
From Swords to Plowshares:
We are a community-based not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. We are dedicated to supporting nearly 3,000 homeless, low-income and at-risk veterans in the Bay Area every year. We offer employment and job training, supportive housing programs, permanent housing placement, counseling and case management, and legal services.
San Francisco, CA. Palomacy Bird Care Coordinator Jill Shepard (seen above) discusses the organization’s root beginnings and why pigeons and doves make great pets for those looking to adopt a new friend.
Elizabeth Young, the founder and director of Palomacy, volunteered at San Francisco Animal Care and Control in the mid-2000s and monitored the small animals that came in like bunnies, guinea pigs, and pigeons.
“She would see these big white pigeons come in and they were put in the back of the kennel so nobody saw them,” Shepard said, “and they were later euthanized because nobody really knew what to do with these pigeons.”
Most of the birds that would be admitted to Animal Control were the U.S. native King Pigeons. These birds are popular as meat products as it only takes 4-5 weeks to fatten the young pigeons before slaughter.
The ones that are taken away from slaughterhouses generally do not understand how to fend after themselves due to their domesticated and young nature. They will often starve as a result unless taken into shelters.
“There are over 300 breeds of domesticated pigeons that can’t live in the wild,” Shepard said, “it’s like releasing a puppy in the forest, they don’t have that DNA.”
Young wanted to focus her volunteer efforts on rescuing pigeons and doves after her experience at the animal control and adopting her first king pigeons.
“There was this parrot rescue group in the bay area called ‘Mickaboo’ and so she asked for their help,” Shepard said, “and that’s how it got started.”
Young would dedicate her spare time between jobs caring for rescued pigeons and doves in her own department at Mickaboo called Mickacoo.
Shepard first got involved with Young’s work in 2011 when the director decided to split off from Mickaboo and found her own organization called Palomacy.
“Every day is different,” Shepard said in consideration of the regular routine of Palomacy, “it’s all over the place.”
Shepard’s days can be consumed with all sorts of activities including reading through adoption or foster applications, making sure the birds’ needs are met, and transporting sick pigeons to The Medical Center for Birds in Oakley, CA.
Shepard discussed how pigeons are considered monogamous animals, and after they are about 5-6 months old, they live with a mate for life. Pigeons are “particular” about their mates and Shepard will often spend her day doing “pigeon matchmaking” to find the right pairs to live with each other in and outside of the rescue.
2020 has been an interesting year for several nonprofit organizations and Palomacy has missed out on continuing its educational outreach programs that help bring more positive attention to the birds. Despite this slight setback, Palomacy has been able to stay open strictly following CDC social distancing guidelines.
“We’re actually adopting more out than we ever have, so our numbers are pretty high with adoptions,” Shepard said.
The bird care coordinator credits the increase of adoptions to people staying at home and finding out about Palomacy themselves.
The organization runs entirely from its donations and will continue to accept new rescues to find more loving, safe homes for life.
“They’re not disposable animals,” Shepard stated, “they are very emotionally driven, they’re smart, they’re one of the few species that can self-recognize in mirrors, they’re very emotional birds, they love love.”
From Palomacy:
Palomacy (a Community Initiatives project) is a volunteer-powered, donation-funded rescue for domestic (unreleasable) pigeons & doves in the San Francisco Bay Area. Palomacy provides avian vet treatment, foster care & adoption services locally & consultation & referrals all over the country. Started in 2007, Palomacy has directly saved the lives of more than 1,000 birds & assisted countless others.
San Francisco, CA. The San Francisco Arts Commission announced that Ralph Remington has been appointed as the new Director of Cultural Affairs. (Photo credit, Photo by Aminda Villa) Remington will bring decades of leadership experience in the arts and a focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion to the San Francisco Arts Commission. He was hired by the City following a comprehensive search led by the Arts Commission with the announcement on November 6th. He will begin in January 2021.
The Director of Cultural Affairs leads the administration of the San Francisco Arts Commission and directs citywide cultural activities in all aspects of the arts through programs, special projects, grant making, and policy-setting initiatives. The Director reports to the 15-member, mayoral-appointed Arts Commission, which is responsible for the Civic Art Collection, Civic Design Review, Cultural Equity Grants and other funding, SFAC Galleries, public art, art vendors, and seven cultural centers.
The nonprofit San Francisco Arts Commission is working hard to help nonprofits stay afloat. Mission: The San Francisco Arts Commission is the City agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy.
While we encouraging everyone to #stayathome this holiday season, the commission also wanted to share some of the artwork that has been recently installed at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
San Francisco-based artist Gay Outlaw’s bold, geometric sculptures, located in the South Courtyard at Terminal 1, take inspiration from both architecture and nature and incorporates color and texture in playful and surprising ways.
The San Francisco Arts Commission is committed to creating a city where all artists and cultural workers have the freedom, resources and platform to share their stories, art and culture and where race does not predetermine one’s success in life. We also acknowledge that we occupy traditional and unceded Ohlone land. Fueled by these beliefs, we commit to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. This work requires that we focus on race as we confront inequities of the past, reveal inequities of the present and develop effective strategies to move all of us towards an equitable future.
San Francisco, CA. Minds Matter San Francisco (MMSF) is an education nonprofit that transforms the lives of low-income high school students with demonstrated motivation by broadening their dreams and preparing them for college success. (A recent enrichment included the skydiving expedition, pictured above.)
The organization raised $347,877 on October 7th, during its virtual fundraiser.
Founded in 2010, 100% of alumni have been accepted to 4-year colleges, and 97% are on track to graduate from college within 4 years. Students – compared with similar peers – are 25X as likely to graduate from a selective college that prepares them for career and beyond.
Minds Matter San Francisco (MMSF) was also recently named “2020 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by GreatNonprofits, the leading website of user reviews of charities and nonprofits. The organization noted the achievement in October.
Target demographics: Low-income high school students who are the first in their families to go to college.
Direct beneficiaries per year: 224 mentees (current and alumni)
Geographic areas served: San Francisco
Programs: Our students participate in a rich set of programs including young professional mentorship, academic planning programs, MMSF-supported summer college programs for high school students and SAT & ACT instruction.
Minds Matter San Francisco aims to help high school students with demonstrated motivation from low-income families achieve their dreams of attending college.
San Francisco, CA. HandsOn Bay Area is offering Virtual Volunteering programs. The program is a volunteer-driven response to the COVID-19 public health emergency. While volunteers may need to be physically apart right now, they can still engage in meaningful virtual engagements that support our community. These shared experiences bring volunteers out of their isolation and mobilize them to a greater good.
There are often opportunities to volunteer as a family.
The organization is offering five reasons to participate:
Team-based virtual experiences that benefit the community and help teams connect
Easy and high impact done in a day projects for volunteers
Curated experiences that align with your team’s interests and meet a community need
All project scoping, planning, and execution will be handled by our team of professional non-profit volunteer managers to ensure a high-quality volunteer experience
Connect with your community and make a real difference
Another program is “Digital Dialogues”. It is a facilitated discussion between volunteers, community leaders, and HandsOn Bay Area staff that centers the issue areas affecting our communities. Possible topics include:
Disability Justice
Hunger & Homelessness
Race Relations & Police Brutality
These virtual convening spaces are dedicated to sharing, learning, and critically reflecting on the social issues that matter to each and every one of us. Organizers encourage you to bring your passion for a better world and a commitment to your community.
From HandsOn Bay Area:
We connect companies and people with high-quality volunteer projects through our extensive network of local nonprofits and schools in need.
We help companies — including Google, Salesforce, Levi’s and many others — create customized volunteer events to make their employees happier and better serve society.
And we offer hundreds of volunteer projects each month to anyone who wants to help, covering all the causes people care about.
In 2017, we mobilized over 25,000 volunteers, resulting in more than 76,000 hours of service to more than 280 schools, parks and nonprofits across the Bay Area. Our volunteering projects meet critical community needs including education and literacy, youth development, health and aging, homelessness, the environment and more.
San Francisco, CA. Based on the historical Haight Street of San Francisco with another volunteer center in Berkeley, Prisoners Literature Project has delivered packages of literary material to prisoners for over 30 years. Unfortunately, the outbreak of COVID-19 has hindered both the organization to provide books to inmates as well as the prisoner’s ability to participate. While still sending out hundreds of packages per month, that amount is nowhere near the previous volume Prisoners Literature Project (PLP) was able to distribute.
PLP relies solely on volunteers to package and mail specific books, however social distancing guidelines in response to the pandemic have prohibited the organization to continue their normal volunteer operations. Simon Carless, a volunteer and social media advocate for PLP, emphasizes the organization’s total reliance on volunteers and donations; “Nobody is being paid by the organization, so for us, it’s important that all the money we receive goes directly to helping prisoners.”
Volunteers such as those pictured are no longer able to gather and pack or distribute literature in The Grassroots House due to COVID. PLP hopes to return to their normal volunteer-based practice soon.
Partnerships with other nonprofit organizations further allow PLP to provide prisoners with a diverse collection of literature. Grassroots House is the parent organization to PLP, and Carless describes the nonprofit as a “collectively run physical space”. Grassroots activism allows increased diversity among both literature donations and volunteer demographics; “We do have a whole bunch of backgrounds, jobs, and ages, yes. I think everyone has a different view on why they are doing this and how they can help – so as a collective we try to self-organize so that everyone is doing what they want to do to make things better.”
PLP is also partnered with the Prisoner Activist Resource Center and includes the organization’s brochures within their literature packages to provide prisoners with information regarding resources and fundamental business knowledge. In addition to the education and resources prisoners receive through the PLP, Carless is proud of the more spiritual and therapeutic ameliorates their organization provides as well. “Many prisoners request dictionaries and thesauruses, so for them, their literacy is important….But in general, when they are in such isolation or have such poor access to reading materials, a great result is an improved state of mind and the feeling that somebody is looking out for them. We hope!”
Carless highlights the organization’s appreciation for the letters of thanks PLP receives from prisoners due to their work.
While COVID has hindered their operation, Prisoners Literature Project continues to accept donations and hopes that both their dedicated volunteers as well as the prisoners who have had their resources restricted due to the pandemic can once again engage in the efforts of the organization. Carless acknowledges the immense impact of COVID on PLP; “Many prisons are in lockdown or partial lockdown and have been very badly affected by COVID, which is very sad. And PLP itself has had to stop doing group volunteer sessions, which has majorly affected our ability to send out packages. (We are still sending out hundreds per month, just not as many as we did.) We hope to get back to normal soon, but it’s difficult for everyone concerned.”
https://www.prisonlit.org/
From Prisoners Literature Project
The Prisoners Literature Project is an all-volunteer, non-profit group that sends free books directly to prisoners who request them from throughout the United States.Working almost continuously for thirty years, our U.S. prison books program has gotten (literally) tons of books into the American prison system, while staying overwhelmingly ‘grassroots’ – no full-time employees, no overhead eating up your donations.
Partnerships
Prisoner Activist Resource Center – https://www.prisonactivist.org/
The Grassroots House – https://grassrootshouse.org/
Berkeley, CA. Berkeley Food Network, a middleman between large food sources – such as food banks or markets –and community distributors, has more than tripled its community impact in just two months. According to the nonprofit’s Executive Director Sara Webber, “With COVID we went in two months… from serving 1,600 people a week to 5,000 people a week.”
When it was founded in 2016 by Sara Webber, Dona Boatright, Chuck Fanning, and Kate Campbell King, the Berkeley Food Network worked it’s way up to serving around 300 food-insecure people. In two years, thanks to partnerships with community organizations like Head Start, senior and medical centers, as well as the Alameda County Food Bank, that number grew to 1,600. But the Coronavirus outbreak and California’s shelter-in-place order “completely changed our operations,” Webber notes. “We’re saying it’s our silver lining.” And indeed, the pandemic has given people who may be reluctant to ask for free food the push they need to accept help.
Berkeley Food Network employees pose for a photo pre-COVID-19.
An essential part of the Berkeley Food Network’s model is destigmatizing food handouts. At the nonprofit’s farmer market-style pantries, staff shop alongside food insecure people, taking just a few items. The goal of this is to normalize free food, and the strategy works; customers feel more comfortable and participate more. Since the shelter-in-place order, the Food Network has shifted from running pop-up pantries at convenient times and locations for families to delivering pre-packed grocery bags to community partners. One such partner is Headstart, a preschool for low-income children that is run by the YMCA. Once a month the Berkeley Food Network sets up a food pantry at Headstart from three to five in the afternoon, so parents can easily access free food while they are picking their kids up. Although Headstart was forced to suspend its program due to COVID, BFN has found numerous new community partners.
A mother and daughter pick food from a BFN pop-up pantry prior to the onset of the pandemic.
Despite the many organizations devoted to feeding the hungry in and around Berkeley, “There are a lot of people falling through the holes,” according to Webber. That is where BFN comes in. They work with partner organizations in the community to get food where it is most needed. Research by the Food Network shows that 24,000 Berkeley residents were food insecure pre-COVID-19. However, only 6,000 of them had access to regular food assistance. It is the Berkeley Food Network’s mission to close that gap by developing strong and collaborative community partnerships to reach each of those 24,000 people with healthy food.
Masked BFN workers sort food to be distributed to families.
Healthy food is a hallmark of Berkeley Food Network. They never distribute sugary drinks or foods – most of their produce is sourced from hyper-organic community gardens like King Middle School’s Edible Schoolyard and Urban Adamah. In addition, BFN receives donations from personal organic gardens. To fill in the cracks, BFN’s food recovery program sources food from local businesses that would normally throw away imperfect, but perfectly healthy, produce. Packages typically contain food for an entire family to eat three meals.
BFN warehouse workers pose for a masked photo.
If you are interested in getting involved with Berkeley Food Network:
From Berkeley Food Network: Did you know that 1 in 5 Berkeley residents are not able to put enough food on their tables to live healthy, hunger-free lives? The Berkeley Food Network was founded in December 2016 with the goal of ending hunger in Berkeley. We have an innovative mix of community-centered and collaborative programs to get healthy, nutritious food to the people in Berkeley who need it. At the heart of this work is our food sourcing and distribution hub operating out of our warehouse. We source food from the Alameda County Community Food Bank and local food businesses that is later distributed to Berkeley residents. The graphic below outlines specifically how our community-centered approach operates to end hunger in Berkeley.
Oakland, CA. As the world adjusts to the pandemic, Wardrobe For Opportunity has had to close its office and create virtual programs to continue its mission to assist low-income individuals, people of color, and immigrants with not only job placement, but skills in long term career development. The organization provides several empowering programs to aid clients in professional visual appearance, job placement, long-term career development, and education in financial literacy. The impact of COVID has expanded Wardrobe for Opportunity’s clients, as many have lost employment and are in need of career services.
Founded in 1995, Wardrobe for Opportunity (WFO) began as a service for low-income women to receive professional attire but has since greatly expanded its programs to include all gender identities. Executive Director Hannah Quan identifies a program called Navigate as one of the organization’s most successful programs. “Last year we saw twice as many people graduate from the program as we expected, and this year we are on track to double that number again. The program is intended for people who are unemployed and looking for work, and we are now hearing from people who never expected to find themselves in this situation due to COVID-19.” The program offers training not only for those newly entering the job search but the program now services an entirely new demographic. Navigate also partners with organizations such as Beyond the Gates and Center for Employment Opportunities which work with both adults and youth reentering the population from incarceration. Quan says for some of these men and women, the Professional Attire Service is the first step and is one of the most personally rewarding to see. “The styling appointment is often the first time they see themselves as capable and deserving of a professional career.”
Racial and social injustice is also a focus of WFO and the nonprofit advocates for those causes. Though not a public advocacy organization, Quan explains how WFO works to fight injustice and inequality in the workplace in other ways; “When it comes to equal pay for equal work, we know that black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) by and large earn less than their white counterparts, and our client base is reflective of that inequality. Our programming covers ways that clients can advocate for themselves in the workplace, whether it be for higher pay, a better job title, increased benefits, or better overall treatment.”
Graduates from Wardrobe For Opportunity’s Catapult Program, focusing on long-term career planning and economic self-sufficiency.
The pandemic has left many without employment and Wardrobe for Opportunity has tirelessly worked on online strategies to continue to provide support and education for clients. Staffers serve the Bay Area community with not only professional attire to be visually prepared for the job search, but they go beyond job placement to build careers, self-confidence, and stability. As it celebrates its 25 years in service, Wardrobe For Opportunity will not allow COVID to stand in the way of its mission.
From Wardrobe For Opportunity:
We acknowledge the shifting demographics and increasing cost of living in the Bay Area and provide workable strategies to the low-income residents that remain. WFO’s strategic plan addresses the needs of low-income clients to succeed in building a life that is sustainable for their future. I hope you will join and support us as we transform lives throughout the Bay Area.
San Francisco, CA. Sunset Youth Services‘ central philosophy is that cultivating healthy attachments with stable and caring adults is the best way to support youth and young adults on the precipice of the criminal justice system. SYS works with young people aged 14 to 24 – as well as their families – in a multitude of different capacities: providing digital arts resources, workforce development, justice and mental health services, and family support. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has forced SYS to close its Youth Center and adapt many services to an online format, staffers continue to center their efforts on relationship-based support for the community.
Youth perform at Sunset Festival prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the early weeks of California’s shelter-in-place order, SYS began weekly ‘Love Parades.’ Employees made signs bearing encouraging messages, piled into their cars, and drove by the houses of families they serve, honking and shouting, “We love you!” and “We’re in this together!” SYS’s commitment to the mental wellbeing of the families served is palpable in the video below of a ‘Love Parade.’
In addition to these weekly shows of support, Sunset Youth Services, in partnership with the San Francisco Marin Food Bank, Dine11, and World Central Kitchen, delivered over 2,000 meals a week to program families during the beginning stages of shelter-in-place. According to Development and Communications Associate Melissa Laureta, SYS “continues to distribute food boxes,” although staffers and volunteers have reduced the number of meals they deliver. This initiative is made possible because of food donations from Trader Joes and the SF-Marin Food Bank.
SYS employees prepare to deliver meals to families in need.
Sunset Youth Services’ Digital Arts program is a cornerstone of the nonprofit’s efforts to cultivate community with SF youth both inside and outside prison. Young people come to SYS’ Youth Center to produce music and videos, write songs, and learn similar marketable skills from industry professionals. SYS began bringing its Digital Arts program into juvenile hall and jails so that in the process of creating music, incarcerated youth form relationships with Sunset Youth employees. Once out of jail, those connections facilitate their reentry into society by connecting them to the wealth of services that SYS provides, such as a highly successful Workforce Development program. Almost 90% of the youth who graduate from this program land a job. At the junction between Digital Arts and Workforce Development is Upstar Records: a youth-led record label that cultivates young hip-hop enthusiasts into digital technology professionals.
A singer performs with a group associated with Upstar Records during pre-COVID-19 times.
SYS’s programs are structured around the research-driven concept of attachment communities: groups that provide connectedness and foster healthy, trusting relationships between volunteers and youth. Many young people lack stable relationships in their lives, which is believed to be a root cause of issues like depression, anxiety, and mental illness. Even before research released by The Commission on Children at Risk in 2005 identified attachment communities as the definitive response to myriad behavioral and mental health issues in youth, SYS had already formed its own relationship-based community in San Francisco. Instead of compartmentalizing the services they offer, SYS ensures a teen can walk into the building and have access to any of five programs. At the Youth Center, youth and young adults can make music or beats, meet with mental health professionals, case managers, and receive support caring for a young child. Laureta explains, “Youth can come into our center and hit all five of our programs and still maintain community within our family.” This idea of ‘family’ is at the core of all Sunset Youth Services programs.
Sunset Youth Services at the Playland BBQ in 2019.
Anyone interested in volunteering with Sunset Youth Services should contact Melissa Laureta at [email protected] for more information. Keep in mind, however, that Sunset Youth Services’ dedication to forging enduring relationships between volunteers and youth make getting involved more complicated than some might think. Laureta says, “We are pretty tight gatekeepers of our youth community because there’s a lot of abandonment stuff and mental health stuff with our kids. When we have volunteers who parachute in and out, abandonment issues arise rally fast. So we need dedicated volunteers to stick with a kid or a cohort of kids for weeks and months and be committed and show relationships are stable because they don’t get that from other places in their lives.”
From Sunset Youth Services: The mission of Sunset Youth Services is to foster long-term stability and growth in in-risk* youth, young adults, and families through caring relationships and supportive services. This goal is based on the simple belief that youth are inherently worthy of dignity and respect and have the potential to positively contribute to their communities when their real needs are met.
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