Dear Friends,
As 2022 unfolds with all of us navigating a bumpier path than expected, YES is lucky to move forward with an unwavering community by our side and the grounding motivation to make Richmond and the outdoors a welcome space for us all.
In this pursuit, I keep the lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the forefront of my mind: through the fierce rejection of exclusion and othering and the radical embrace of love and acceptance as vehicles for change, we can ensure an environment where everyone, regardless of ethnicity, background, or circumstance can feel welcomed and thrive. At a time when the systems of inequality and the resistance to change policies that benefit the underrepresented majority are so glaringly pronounced, we celebrate Dr. King and act from a place of courage and resolve in our work.
This mindset and philosophy has driven the pursuits of our newest YES board member for decades–read on to learn how her journey through community advocacy work is helping shape YES’s leadership and relationship with the community. Following in her footsteps and putting their own spin on community service is our Youth Engagement Team; with the finalization of the team’s beautification of Nicholl Park just around the corner, now is a great time for you to get caught up on their project. But that isn’t the only YES event to look forward to! Winter Camp is fast approaching, so we’re highlighting its long-time home: Point Bonita YMCA. Just a small piece of the Golden Gate Recreation Area, there’s no doubt that this is a park we love–and we’re sure you will too.
I hope you’ll join me in following the example Dr. King, our young people, and so many community advocates have set forth by resolving this year to lead with conviction and inclusion.
Together, we can be the change that so many before us have dreamt of.
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Eric Aaholm, Executive Director |
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YES Community Highlight:
Juanita Towns
A Richmond resident with nearly 25 years of community advocacy work under her belt, Juanita brings a deep understanding of our community and firsthand experience with our programs into her role as a YES Board Member.
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Juanita met YES Adult Leadership Pathway (ALP) Manager, Angelica, at a trying time of her life and work–a years-long family struggle within the school system had waned her self-confidence, leading her to take a step back from advocacy and organizing work. The opportunity to join Angelica’s program, she figured, would be a chance to try something new and maybe even help her get back into the swing of community work. “[The Adult Leadership Program] helped me a lot with being vocal again. It gave me the opportunity to open up as a leader and learn that it’s okay to share my story,” Juanita reflected. By the time she had graduated and had the chance to move up to the Adult Fellows program, Juanita was “all in.” Luckily for YES, she was just getting started.
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“YES is different because everybody is for everybody. Regardless of where you come from, we’re all trying to help you get to where you need to be.” |
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Struck by her deep community roots, extensive advocacy and leadership work, and passion for supporting families, YES greeted Juanita’s interest in joining the board with open arms, knowing she would make an invaluable addition to the organization and its future. “It was an easy decision when Eric approached me,” Juanita says of the offer, “it was something different from the previous boards I had been on and I like the diversity [of YES] and the way they treat people.” Since joining the board in June 2021, Juanita has jumped head-first into YES’s organizational equity, diversity, and inclusion work. By helping forge connections with schools and other nonprofits, Juanita has taken the position as an important step toward repairing the distrust she’s witnessed within the Black community toward community organizations. “I didn’t know that it was so important, that so many people look up to me and value what I say,” she admits, “if I don't do it, it’s not gonna happen and people aren’t gonna know that I trust it.” |
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“[Being on the board] has challenged me to come out of my comfort zone and do what I love to do,” Juanita said of her experience. And what she loves to do is uplift other Black parents and families using her knowledge of the school system and Richmond organizations. After graduating from ALP, Juanita joined forces with Zelon Harrison, another impassioned WCCUSD parent, to start The Black Parents Resource Center, a nonprofit connecting Black parents with the knowledge and tools to help their students succeed–learn more about TBPRC by clicking the button below.
Juanita’s advice to adults looking to jump into community leadership? “Be open to change. Be open to new information. Be open to learn.”
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Nicholl Park Beautification Project
Many of us have shared ideas about what improvements could make local parks better spaces to spend time, but what does it look like when these ideas are made a reality?
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YES’s Youth Engagement Team (YET) cohort, led by Youth Engagement Specialist Joanna Pulido, is a group of 13 youth who meet on a weekly basis to learn nutrition and physical activity education, promote healthy practices in their community, and advocate for community improvements. The 2019/20 YET began collecting data from the Richmond community in 2020 about what improvements were needed before they would spend more time in our beloved Nicholl Park. Based on those responses, the team applied for, and received, a City of Richmond Love Your Block mini-grant with the overall goal of increasing the amount of time community residents are spending at the park. From cleaner restrooms, to water fill stations, to educational spaces, the 2020/21 YET charted a plan to beautify a piece of Nicholl Park based on community feedback and got to work.
Thanks to the enthusiastic collaboration of local mural artist Richard Muro - Salazar, the beautification efforts will include a large mural wrapping around the restroom building. After engaging hundreds of YES families and additional community members, Richard designed a mural that is truly reflective of the Richmond community and the desires of the park’s users. And better yet, the mural and park improvements will reflect the efforts of the community, as well.
This past Saturday, the YET hosted a Community Gardening day of service, building plant beds that will give back to Richmond for years to come by means of edible produce and learning opportunities. Looking forward to February, Richard’s mural will be coming to life–and you can help! Come join YES on February 5th and 12th to paint the Nicholl Park mural and get a glimpse of the early progress of the community garden. The grand unveiling of the mural will take place on February 26th–you won’t want to miss it.
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Parks We Love:
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
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Occupying the land of native Ohlone and Coast Miwok tribes, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area is one of the largest urban parks in the country, spanning 91 miles of coastline. The park is split into many distinct, private boundaries, such as the Presidio, Muir Woods, Marin Headlands, and YES favorite, Point Bonita YMCA–home to decades of Winter Camp and staff retreats.
GGNRA is a remarkable reprieve from the bustle of city-life found just steps outside of the park’s boundaries. In just one day traveling through the region, you’ll experience landscapes ranging from prairie, woodlands, freshwater wetlands and streams, and of course, quintessentially Californian coastal bluffs and Redwoods. Even the most well-versed Bay Area park-lover can find something new to marvel at in this truly diverse, awe-inspiring stretch of protected land.
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Do you have a book, podcast, movie, article, or any other piece of media that you've learned from recently? Send us an email and you might see your recommendation in the next YES newsletter!
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YES Nature to Neighborhoods | (510) 232-3032 | www.yesfamilies.org |
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