Dear Friend,
Today, and once more at the end of December, YES is sending campfire warmth your way in the form of stories from YES's work and adventures in 201
7. Read on to learn about YES’s
first "Richmond Resident Leadership" Family Camp.
Please consider supporting our work by making a donation during our year-end "S'more Campaign".
Your essential support helps YES provide low-income Richmond youth and families with meaningful, joyful experiences in nature, and with year-round leadership training, mentorship, and health and wellness education.
Our goal is to raise $55,000 by January 1st. Every donation makes a big difference for Richmond youth and families, and
every donation made between now and December 31st will be
doubled
thanks to a matching grant from an anonymous foundation!
Also, scroll down to check out our friend Karen Weil's Holiday Art Sale & Benefit - on December 16th, Karen will donate 100% of her sales to YES!
Most Sincerely,
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Eric Aaholm, Executive Director
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Building Richmond Resident Leadership and Community Engagement
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This fall, YES brought our mission and vision into action in a new way. We used our successful Family Camp model to bring emerging Richmond leaders and their families together for a leadership retreat in the supportive setting of CYO Camp's redwood forests. Six Richmond community agencies referred families to participate: Healthy Richmond, CCISCO, GRIP, Verde Elementary School, GO Public Schools, and the James Moorehouse Project at El Cerrito High School.
Together, nineteen families participated in a weekend full of activities led by YES staff, our partners at Californians for Justice, camp facilitators, and amazing volunteers. While children took part in activities like archery, drumming, art, nature hikes, and some classic camp silliness, parents and caregivers participated in facilitated workshops and conversations design
ed to create a safe space to reflect, connect with one another, and build community. Throughout the retreat, everyone came together for meals, team building games, swimming, night hikes, and a spectacular campfire & talent show!
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These motivated Richmond residents mapped out and presented their leadership journeys, learned about the importance of community organizing and the history of education in America, and gained tools to advocate for an equitable education system in Richmond. The weekend culminated in a closing ceremony during which everyone reflected on their experiences and shared how they would put what they learned into practice.
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One week after returning to Richmond, a third of the Leadership Retreat participants attended the School District Local Accountability Plan (DLCAP) meeting. During the DLCAP meeting, parents and caregivers spoke during public comment and advocated on behalf of their children’s education.
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Holiday Art Sale Benefit for YES: Dec 16
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Searching for unique, locally created holiday gifts? Want to support YES and discover a local artist at the same time? Check out our long-time supporter Karen Weil's Holiday Art Sale benefiting YES on Saturday, December 16th!
Karen is generously donating 100% of her sales to YES on Saturday the 16th, after raising $1,000 for YES on 12/2 in the same way! Stop by her
Artist at Play studio on Hopkins Street
in Berkeley from 12 - 4pm on 12/16.
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"After this experience, I feel energized
to be even more engaged!"
– Resident Leadership Retreat Participant
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YES Nature to Neighborhoods | (510) 232-3032 | www.yesfamilies.org
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