Dear Friends,
Please join us in celebrating YES's 20th anniversary year
! That's 20 years of nurturing leaders and change-makers, and connecting Richmond youth and families to nature. In 1999, YES was a feeling and a unique presence in the lives of a handful of families. The trust and connection built with those first campers became the founding values of YES, and still form the bedrock of who we are 20 years later. Over the two decades since then, we have developed strong relationships with thousands of youth and their families, and we have evolved and grown by listening deeply and responding to the needs of our community.
All year long, our newsletter will feature a special 20th Anniversary segment with reflections and stories
from past and current participants, staff, board, and community members. We're kicking this special segment off with a look back from our founder, Diane Mintz, and reflections from our Program Director, Blanca Hern
á
ndez, on YES's evolution and impact.
Of course, while we're looking back to 1999, 2019 is also bustling with activity. We hit the ground running this year and have already facilitated eight successful programs.
Scroll down for pictures capturing highlights from the exciting start to our 20th year!
Sincerely,
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Eric Aaholm, Executive Director
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Reflections on 20 Years of YES
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Blanca Hernández, YES Program Director
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"People from all walks of life felt heard, loved, and valued,
and they joined with us to achieve our mission."
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I started working in Richmond in 2002 and that’s how I first came to know the resiliency of the people in this community, along with the systemic challenges they faced. At that time, organizations in Richmond were not as connected as they are now and there was little time to stop and strategize.
I came to work at YES in 2008, and I fell in love with the organization. I felt empowered and able to effect change alongside the residents I had grown to love in Richmond. YES provided something so basic: access to the outdoors for under-represented youth and families. People from all walks of life felt heard, loved, and valued, and they joined with us to achieve our mission.
Over the years, YES has evolved and continues to do so. When it was needed, we provided communication workshops for parents/caregivers at schools and launched the North Richmond Network to support the Verde School community. As we evolved, we designed and launched the Wellness Program for adults who wanted more leadership training after attending Family Camp weekends, and that program has evolved into our Adult Leadership Program.
Our program design is strongly influenced by best practices from Youth Development and Leadership Development theories, and Social and Environmental Justice. Being knowledgeable about what makes a program successful, from setting up safe spaces to modeling inclusive practices, is sprinkled with
empathy:
acknowledging that everyone is walking a path we may k
now little about helps us deliver strong programs. The lack of representation of marginalized communities in the outdoor/environmental field is a huge influence on our program and goals these days as well.
At YES, our vision is for Richmond youth, adults, and families to lead healthy, connected lives; motivate change in their neighborhoods; and inspire a safe, thriving community, and we aim to see this vision come true in our lifetime.
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"Four of the ten children who were part
of that first summer 21 years ago are still in my life."
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Twenty-one years ago I sat in a first-grade classroom at Coronado School in Richmond. I had no plan. I had come to help my friend who was the teacher in a classroom of beautiful children, six years old. These kids had much less exposure beyond their neighborhood than my children and the children of my friends. So, I began taking them to local parks on Friday afternoons. It is amazingly easy to delight a child. The long concrete slide at Codornices Park in Berkeley. The Little Farm in Tilden with celery to feed the goats.
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That summer I rented a van for ten Saturdays so that ten children and three adults could explore the cultural and natural wonders of the Bay Area. We hit all of my favorite spots, and we became a family. We sang together. We ate together, and, for our last outing, we camped overnight at Chabot Regional Park. Camping was a big hit. Four of the ten children who were part of our "family" that first summer 21 years ago are still in my life.
The following spring, I asked everyone I knew for a donation to send kids to YMCA Camp Loma Mar, near Pescadero. Eighty-five kids received sleeping bags and headed off for a week of sheer delight. Thus, YES was born. An unplanned birth, but YES has since grown and thrived to become a community of parents and children, of adolescents, and young adults, and even the hub of myriad non-profit organizations serving Richmond.
I learned early that no child - no one actually - aspires to something that they have never heard of nor experienced. Something must spark desire and the decision to pursue that something. That week in nature - repeated each summer until the age of 16 - became the fodder for a developing sense of belonging, acceptance, of growing confidence, of an experience of safety, and even love.
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Will brake for rainbows: The C2C Mountain Bike Club takes a break from their ride at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline to enjoy a double rainbow sighting.
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Our Adult Leaders cohort is deeply engaged in learning from each other. Leaders from the group are kicking off a community Spanish Language class series in March!
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The C2C Youth Engagement Team on-site at Bayview Elementary. Our teens are serving as peer role models, swaying hearts away from sugary drinks and towards water consumption and a healthy lifestyle.
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When you're out with the Richmond Rangers hiking in Wildcat Canyon, you might encounter some trails that require all eyes on the ground in front of you - unless you're smiling for the camera!
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YES Nature to Neighborhoods |(510) 232-3032 | www.yesfamilies.org
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