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Perspectives with Dr. Christine Garcia
Grateful for our Community
At Side By Side, we often start our meetings with a check-in question designed to see how colleagues are doing and to foster commonalities. At one of our most recent meetings, the check-in question was, "What comes to mind when you think about autumn?" While there was a cornucopia of answers, from the crunch of leaves underfoot to the change in weather to pumpkin spice to upcoming family feasts, many mentioned the feeling of gratitude. As I considered what to write for this month's e-Newsletter, I was again reminded of gratitude when I think of you. We are so grateful for and humbled by your support of our youth.
I have often talked about the immense mental health needs of youth since the pandemic began in 2020. During the lockdown, our youth lost crucial time to learn and practice social skills, distress and frustration tolerance, and other self-regulating capabilities. Three years later, we continue to see the impact of the lockdown and its isolation. Today, there is an increased number of unhoused youths with more severe behavioral issues, including interpersonal violence, suicidality, and self-harm.
For Side By Side, autumn signals the beginning of a season where we ask for your continued support. This support includes your attendance at our fall gala, Reach for the Stars (November 4 at the Mill Valley Community Center), your selection of a gift for one of our youths from our Giving Tree located at the Marin County Mart, and your financial support with our End-of-Year Giving Appeal.
Your support, monetary or in-kind, covers the costs of running the best possible programs for those youth most in need. You not only aid us in keeping the lights on, but you also help us serve more youth and young adults, provide multilingual services, and be at the forefront of science and technology in delivering behavioral, academic, and emotional health every year. It is only with you that we can continue to walk side by side with Bay Area youth and remain committed to helping them persevere and stand strong.
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