Hard Work and Opportunity

It has been said that luck is where hard work meets opportunity.  Thus, according to the saying, neither hard work nor opportunity alone is enough to produce positive results.  For youth in the juvenile justice and foster care systems that do not mind putting in some hard work, we provide the opportunity.  In doing so, we help to ensure that their hard work does not go un-rewarded but rather helps lead to positive change.

 

Last year, Sharnice became involved in the juvenile justice system after losing not only her grandmother, the backbone of her family, but also her father and then her stepfather to violence.  At the age of sixteen, her life could easily have spiraled out of control in the
face of such a tremendous loss.  But Sharnice took advantage of the opportunities available to her and worked hard to change her life.

City Youth Now provided her with one of those opportunities.  Through our internship program, she was employed by Precita Center, where she helped younger children.  Sharnice went on to graduate from high school with an astounding 3.9 GPA at the end of her senior year in high school and plans to pursue a college in Criminal Justice.

 

There are plenty of San Francisco youth like Sharnice, who are in the juvenile justice system or the foster care system and are willing to work hard to change their lives.  Many work hard and continue to struggle because, despite their hard work, opportunities remain elusive.  It is where their hard work comes together with positive opportunities that good things happen.

 

City Youth Now strives to provide these kinds of opportunities for every San Francisco child in crisis, but when the budgets of everyagency in the state are already stretched thin, these kinds of programs are often the first to suffer.  Some see them as unnecessary, or as handouts to those who do not deserve them.  The truth is that they are opportunities, and they are provided to those who need them the most, smart kids who are willing to work hard for them.

 

In order for us to keep providing these kinds of opportunities, we need your help.  For a donation in the amount of $75, you could provide the opportunity for a child to get their GED.  For someone who never had the chance to finish high school, but wants to work hard and go on to college, this is a tremendous opportunity.  For about $50, you can provide the opportunity for a child to register for the SAT, an opportunity that a bright, hardworking child might not otherwise ever receive.  A donation of $40 could help provide a student with the school supplies they need to learn, helping to ensure the opportunities that come with education remain available to them.  Click here to make a quick and easy donation in any amount: http://www.cityyouthnow.org/get-involved/donate-now

 

For youth willing to work hard with a little support and direction, what many people take for granted are can actually serve as a huge opportunity.  And without opportunities like these, all the hard work someone is willing to put in may leave them without any “luck,” if there is no opportunity to meet it.  Donate today and help us continue providing these opportunities so that their hard work does not go un-rewarded, but rather comes together with opportunity to make good things happen for San Francisco youth in crisis.

Imagining Possibilities

Many San Francisco youth in the juvenile justice and foster care systems have spent their entire lives missing out on some of the great things San Francisco has to offer.  Imagine growing up in San Francisco, yet never spending a day at the beach or visiting the zoo.  Or never seeing a live musical performance.  Imagine never experiencing any of the vast array of cultural activities San Francisco has to offer.  Imagine growing  up in a San Francisco where your knowledge of street names is based on claims of gang territory, so that you know what streets to avoid.  Imagine growing up in a San Francisco where everyone around you has lived their life that same way – never able to take advantage of many of the great things San Francisco has to offer.  Not only would you be missing out on one of the greatest cities in the world, you would not even know what you were missing out on.

This is the experience of many youth entering the juvenile justice system and foster care systems in San Francisco.  Kids that are able to experience these things have something that others do not.  They see possibilities.  They can imagine themselves one day participating in these activities.  It can give them something to look forward to, something to strive towards, something to aspire to be.  Something more than avoiding that intersection two blocks away where the local street dealers peddle their poison.  Something more than imagining that you will inevitably end up working for that same sad crew, just like your cousin or your brother did.

Because not every child grows up fortunate enough to bring themselves out of troubled neighborhoods and into seeing other possibilities, we bring the possibilities to them.  Last year, San Francisco Zoo Mobile paid a series of visits to several of the Juvenile Hall units.  The youth that enjoyed these visits learned about biodiversity, interacted with live animals, and learned about the illegal trade in endangered species.  This year’s programs have included a series of visits from Buzzy “Guitar Man” Martin.  While the “Guitar Man” played music for the youth, he also talked to them about following their dreams and demonstrating to society that they have as much potential as anyone else, just as he himself had done.  Just today, Shakespeare on Tour performed “MacBeth” for the boys from Log Cabin Ranch as well as for several of the units within Juvenile Hall.  Visits like these inspire youth.  They give them something to look forward to oustide of what they see in their everyday life.  They help them to imagine other possibilities.

City Youth Now has partnerships with a number of other organizations that help bring possibilities to life inside the walls of Juvenile Hall.  We also provide opportunities to youth that are on probation or in the Foster Care system, including gym memberships, martial arts classes, art classes, and singing and dancing classes.  You can read more about our programs and partnerships here: http://www.cityyouthnow.org/programs/programs-at-juvenile-hall.

Youth that are not physically in juvenile hall can be just as isolated from opportunity as those who are.  Whether the result of a lack of resources, a lack of knowledge, or something else altogether, City Youth Now works to remove those obstacles and replace them with possibilities.  A six to eight week course of singing or dance classes costs around $200.  For about $50 a month, we can provide a gym membership or martial arts classes.  These costs are not great considering the priceless impact that such a simple gift can have on the life of a child.

In order to continue providing these opportunities for San Francisco youth in crisis, we need your help.  A donation in any amount will help us to bring possibilities to those who may otherwise be unable to even imagine them.  Click here to make a fast and easy donation in any amount: http://www.cityyouthnow.org/get-involved/donate-now.  Help us provide these opportunities so that no child in San Francisco feels hopelessly or helplessly locked in a prison of unfortunate circumstance or lack of opportunity.  This should never happen when all it takes to prevent it is to help them imagine what is possible.

Something To Be Thankful For

Take a moment to sit back, close your eyes, and ask yourself this
simple question: What am I thankful for? There are many things that
could come to mind. Maybe you are thankful that you have never gone
without a roof over your head or food on your plate. Perhaps you are
thankful to be in good health. Or maybe you are thankful for that
person in your life that cared about you when you were going through
some hard times and it seemed like nobody ever would. Or for that
organization that stepped in to advocate for you and support you when
you needed it the most.

Now ask yourself this: What if you couldn’t think of anything to be
thankful for? Some people will ask themselves that question and will
not be able to find an answer. Maybe you are one of them. Whether
you are or not, there are things that you can do to help make sure
that no child in San Francisco ever asks herself that question and
cannot come up with an answer. City Youth Now can make much progress
toward that goal, but not without your help.

City Youth Now has a number of volunteer opportunities for anyone
interested in giving every San Francisco child in crisis something to
be thankful for. San Francisco youth that have been removed from
their homes and placed in the foster care system or who get into
trouble with the Juvenile Justice System can experience major
disruptions in the normal flow of their education. You can give these
children a chance to be thankful for having someone to help get them
back on track by volunteering as a tutor in the Woodside Learning Center (within the Juvenile Justice Center) or the Early Morning Study Academy (for youth on probation). There are also opportunities to tutor individual youth who need help in particular subject areas or who are studying to take the GED.

You could also volunteer some of your time at the “Corner Store” in
order to help keep it running. Families who come to the Juvenile Justice Center to attend court proceedings or who are visiting detained youth
appreciate the convenience of being able to purchase a small snack, a gift for a loved one, or perhaps a thank you card for someone they appreciate.

Our office needs help too. We would love to have you help with data
entry and light office work or assist with some of our direct
mailings. This kind of help allows us to keep our costs down and
ensures that we can devote as much of our resources as possible to the
youth that need it. Yet another way you can get involved is to
coordinate a toy drive. It takes little more than sending out an email to your co-workers and can warm the hearts of many children who might not otherwise receive any gifts over the holidays.

Our volunteers are a critical asset in helping ensure that ever child
in our community receives support and services that generate a sense
of self worth and dignity. Click here
(http://www.cityyouthnow.org/get-involved/volunteer-today) for more
information about how you can help support San Francisco youth through
our programs. If you are unable to donate your time, you can also
click here (http://www.cityyouthnow.org/get-involved/donate-now) to
make a quick and easy financial contribution. Either way, your help
can ensure that all children in San Francisco have something to be
thankful for.

KEEP-ing Kids Warm, Safe, and Secure

Child abuse and child neglect remain serious problems in San Francisco. When incidents of child abuse and neglect are reported to authorities, quick action must be taken to protect the children involved. Oftentimes this requires removing a child from her home. Sometimes children are removed as a result of criminal activity in the home. Regardless of the circumstance that leads to a child being removed from her home, it often happens with very little notice. While it is for their own protection, it can be a harrowing experience for a child, who may enter the foster care system with little more than the clothes on her back.

In San Francisco, over one hundred children are rescued by the foster care system each month. A recent study showed that San Francisco places more children in foster care than almost any other county in California. Yet the budgets of the involved government agencies and service providers in San Francisco are in just as much trouble as those throughout the state.

In 1994, City Youth Now found a way to help. For the last seventeen years, Project K.E.E.P. has provided a Kids Emergency Essentials Pack to each child removed from her San Francisco home. These kits contain essential items to provide immediate care and support to the children who receive them. Currently, the kits include a toiletries kit, including toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, and soap; a fleece blanket; colored pencils or crayons; a notebook,
drawing paper, pencils and pens; and, most important, a stuffed animal for comfort.

Of course, there are additional items that an ideal kit would contain but these basics ensure that all children who are taken into protective custody will be able to brush their teeth, entertain themselves by drawing or writing while they wait for a placement, and curl up with a blanket and a stuffed animal during this frightening and lonely time. Winter is coming, and we need to be prepared to meet the most basic needs of all children entering the system. The good news is there are things you can do to help. The cost of assembling one of these backpacks is approximately $25 – consider a donation to City Youth Now in this amount and know that you have provided comfort and security to one child during this vulnerable time OR make it a recurring donation and help one child per month. You can also help by volunteering to pack the backpacks, or make in-kind donations to the program (we are always in need and accepting donations of pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, notebooks, drawing pads, crayon sets, stuffed animals and blankets). Please contact our offices at info@cityyouthnow.org to find out how you can help KEEP San Francisco’s kids warm, safe, and secure.

Leaving No Child Overlooked

Being a kid is not always easy. Youth within the criminal justice system face a whole new set of challenges on top of the ones that all kids struggle with. As they transition out of that system, they can face many more. Some need to deal with having spent significant amounts of time away from loved ones. Some may face more difficulty finding summer jobs or may struggle with their own sense of self worth. Others may have difficulty adjusting to changes in lifestyle, which can result in reduced performance in school and other difficulties. Still others struggle with the stigma that can be associated with them having been involved in the juvenile justice system. Even family and friends may begin to treat them differently. And this is all on top of the normal everyday struggles of being a kid. No child should ever have to face these added challenges.

Sometimes, “the system” cannot meet all the needs of these children, especially the ones that are transitioning out of it. In both the Foster care and Juvenile Justice systems, budget cuts and jurisdictional issues can leave youth without any support. This is a crucial time for children who may not otherwise be receiving the support and services they need from their families and communities. Without a network of support for them to rely on, youth that are supposed to be transitioning out of the juvenile system can find themselves going directly into the adult criminal system.

When that happens, it’s not that the child failed her community, but that the community failed the child. San Francisco’s youth deserve better. No child should find themselves in the juvenile system because their community failed them – because we failed them. If we cannot say that we tried to provide support and services to help, then we did fail. In order to make it through these troubling times, youth on probation or in foster care need all the support they can get. And the sooner it can start, the better.

City Youth Now has programs to help youth whether they are just entering the Juvenile Justice System or are transitioning out of it. Through our author visit program (http://www.cityyouthnow.org/programs/author-visits), we sponsor authors to come and share inspiring stories with the youth detained at the San Francisco Juvenile Justice Center. These visits help to remind them that no matter what struggles they are facing, there is always something better to look forward to. Through our individual grant program (http://www.cityyouthnow.org/programs/individual-grants), we have the ability to tailor our services to the needs of any individual child (in foster care or on probation), no matter what it might be. Oftentimes, we are the only place that youth can turn to for help because our individual grants have the unique flexibility required to meet their needs. City Youth Now will even arrange for internships (http://www.cityyouthnow.org/programs/internship) that provide a positive work experience and help youth develop the skills to succeed in the workplace.

The overarching goal of these programs is to support stability and personal growth, whether through our author visit program, our individual grants, our internships, or one of our many other programs. They help to ensure that no children fall through the cracks, whether they are entering the juvenile system for the first time, or they are ready to transition out of it and begin moving forward with their lives. These programs and services fill the gaps in help and support that contributed to them ending up in the juvenile systems to begin with, thereby leaving no child overlooked.