December Campaign 2013 1 of 4
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Greetings!
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Welcome to YES' December S'More Campaign. Each Tuesday in December we look forward to introducing you to a YES participant or family whose life you helped to enrich in 2013.
Make your gift count S'More! A YES donor has offered to match every online donation made in December up to $5000.
Thank you for being a YES supporter and for helping us to create more success stories in 2014.
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Jessica joined C2C in 2012 after having gone to summer camps with YES for 5 years.
"I used to be the quiet one in the family. I was basically a wallflower that just stood behind everyone else. However, when I got more involved with YES and with C2C, I started to socialize more and step out of my comfort zone. I'm interested in participating in C2C because I want to gain leadership skills and help others.
Health and wellness is pretty important to me. I enjoy the outdoors, going for walks in the park and eating healthy. Most of us don't always make or have access to healthy choices. For instance, it is easier for people to eat fast food than to cook. Diabetes and obesity are two main problems that we have in the community. It is hard for people to go out and have fun outdoors. Now that I've been participating with YES and C2C, I know there are ways to prevent a lot of these issues so that people can make better health choices." - Summer 2013
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The C2C program is YES' year-round outdoor leadership program for youth aged 14-17 who have participated in our Summer Camp and Family Camp programming over several years. Each year the program provides guidance and support for up to 30 youth to serve as leaders in their community. Youth take on leadership roles as counselors-in-training at overnight summer camps, serve as mentor and guides at YES weekend Family Camps and Day Outings, and become interns, volunteers or paid staff at agencies in Richmond that have an outdoor or environmental stewardship focus. Youth also participate in monthly outings, outdoor overnight trips, and academic and career support activities.
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 Since its inception in 2010, YES has engaged 63 C2C youth, one-third having participated over multiple program years. Together these youth have provided 1,142 hours of service to their community and spent nearly 9,000 hours outdoors in a leadership capacity.
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