by April | Mentoring, Personal Growth
Along with Outdoor Outreach, we headed out to Big Bear for a weekend away from the city. We reserved two cabins for the weekend to focus on teambuilding wrapped around a Saturday learning to snow board and snowboarding. Thank to the instructors at Outdoor Outreach whom we are thrilled to be a partner we will had an exhilarating time away from the city!
Traveling to Big Bear the air was filled with excitement as this would be each young man’s first opportunity to see the snow and even better snowboard. Though the ride was tight with each passing mile we grew more excited for what the weekend had in store. Once we arrived to our cabins everyone to a man jumped out to experience the snow, pure joy and excitement could be seen on each face.
The next morning we hit the snow OO made sure that we were equipped with the necessary clothing, gloves and gear, It was now time to hit the mountain. After an hour of fundamentals the guys began to get the hang of it and they were soon hitting the intermediate slopes. The entire day was full of non stop fun along with great conversation, later that night we walked around downtown Big Bear witnessing all the beauty that the quaint city had to offer.
By introducing our young men to the outdoors through exciting and joy-filled weekend, we both work to inspire underserved youth to see possibility and opportunity in their lives. We realize that through these positive types of events you began to see attitude and behavioral changes which help them become successful adults.
We had an amazing weekend in Big Bear with Outdoor Outreach…. We conquered the mountain, ate good food, saw the city and believe that these memories will last in these young men’s lives forever. Thank you Outdoor Outreach for the opportunity we appreciate the opportunity, your staff and look forward to future opportunities!
by April | Volunteerism
The San Diego Alpha Foundation Inc. hosted the Multi-Cultural Festival in partnership with the Port of San Diego, Commission for Arts and Culture, the World Beat Cultural Center, Pazazz and many other Community organizations. The Festival is free and open to the public and is being held at San Diego’s beautiful downtown waterfront park at the corner of Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway.
For the second consecutive year we assisted with the setup and breakdown of this wonderful event. We also had an information booth setup and were able to take part in the sights and sounds of the festival which was a Fun event that the whole family should participate!
The Multi-Cultural Festival Highlights included:
Beautiful Downtown Water-Front Park
Traditional Heritage Music and Dancing
Multi-Cultural Entertainment on Main Stage
Global and Ethnic Markets
Local and Regional Vendors
Children’s Area and Activities
Multi-Cultural Story Tellers
Finally this Festival showcased San Diego’s rich cultural diversity and traditional heritage through live music, dance performances, storytelling, children’s activities (drum circles, face painting and crafts), and a wide range of ethnic vendors. The Festival highlighted a myriad of multi-cultural entertainment from Native American, Asian, Cajun, Latin, Jazz and Afro-Cuban bands. To find out how you and your organization can participate please visit their website at: www.sdmulticultural.com or contact us at the phone numbers listed above or email us at: cyjames3@yahoo.com. We look forward to seeing you on January 14, 2017, 11:00 am- 5:00 pm
by April | Community
From January 4 – 8, 2016 five schools in the San Diego Unified School District were identified and had the opportunity to apply for college at 46 Historically Black Colleges and Universities for free! Through a partnership with San Diego Unified School District introduced by Marne Foster and sponsored by the Blue Heart Foundation the Common Black College Application has been made available to every senior in the district through March.
Morse, Lincoln, Crawford, San Diego and Hoover High schools were identified by the SDUSD as the pilot schools that would receive a visit from Robert Mason – CEO/Founder to personally facilitate the application process. The Common Black College Application has improved college access for the thousands of students that attend school in the San Diego Unified School District. Lincoln High School Counselor Clayton Ballard would say “I think the biggest effect that this is having all the students in the room at the same time; having all these young African American students who are pushing for something to see each other at the same time.. That was the power of having them do it together.”
What is the Common Black College Application?
The Common Black College Application allows you to complete a single document and submit it to a number of historically black colleges and universities. Member institutions will honor the CBCA as if it were their own application.
Users of the Common Black College Application usually incur a one-time fee of $35, which allows them to apply to up to 46 historically black colleges and universities at the same time. This however was waived through the sponsorship of the Blue Heart Foundation. “The Blue Heart Foundation has clearly demonstrated their commitment to this community by creating the opportunity for every student throughout the San Diego Unified School District to complete the Common Black College Application for free. I can only hope that other organizations will join us in this effort to increase the educational options for students interested in attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” stated Robert Mason
Why is this application necessary?
After years of working in admissions, Robert Mason of EDU Inc. created the Common Black College Application as a way of breaking the cycle of poverty that steep application fees perpetuate. It helps low-income families afford the cost of applying to college, and, as he explains, helps HBCUs to find qualified students who might have assumed college was out of their reach.
Because of the costs associated with submitting college applications, many students either don’t apply at all or only apply to one school. The Common Black College Application, however, allows those from low-income families to apply to dozens of schools with minimal effort. Tracy Morris would later say “I just believe that college can change communities and there is no better investment than our youth. Just imagine the paradigm shift that would take place if every one of these young men and women went on to graduate from college… Entire communities would/could change.
For more on the Common Black College Application visit http://commonblackcollegeapp.org/
by April | Community, Volunteerism
One of our staples is ensuring we give back to our community in the form of service. During this Christmas season we assisted at the Holiday with Hope Celebration. Each year the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA hosts a holiday celebration on the Saturday before Christmas. This years festival took place Saturday, December 20, 2014 from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm.
Purpose
To provide a fun day for families with children during the Christmas holiday season. Each year gifts are presented to thousands children thanks to the generous donations of individuals and businesses. This year was no different as nearly 5000 people showed up to take part in this years holiday festivities.
This year’s event featured
- Arts and Crafts
- Picture with Santa
- One gift per child that is present*
- Music
- Entertainment
- Much more!
We are thankful for the opportunity that the YMCA gave us to assist families this holiday season and the opportunity to play the roles of Rudolph, Mickey Mouse and Santa.
by April | Community
Our Annual Christmas Awards breakfast took place Saturday Dec. 5th, 2015 at the Crown Plaza – Mission Valley with the goal to celebrate this holiday season by honoring those that serve our community and bringing educational awareness to San Diego’s foster and underprivileged youth during a festive Christmas celebration.
For the past nine years it has been our opportunity to give and receive the gift of service. We invite youth and families of San Diego to partake in a morning of joy, gift giving and celebration. This year we have grown larger than ever inviting nearly 100 children and providing them a celebratory breakfast. These children and teenagers come from a variety of programs which include which include foster and area group homes
This year’s Keynote Speaker was Devin Hughes.(The Chief Inspiration Officer) with Community Activist of the Year Awards going to Anna Arancibia (Jackie Robinson YMCA), Kristyl JL Smith (Community Activist), Dana Michelle Bryant (Eleanor’s Place) and Joann Fields all of which have directly impacted young people’s lives on a regular basis.
We also honored educational administrators Karla Whitaker (CalSOAP), and Beverly Warren both of which have greatly impacted our student’s lives at both grade school and collegiate levels. Finally, sticking with our theme of education we will honored our shining star Shane Harris, Sade Burrell as our Guardian Scholar of the Year for overcoming monumental obstacles to graduate from college along with a and E.J Walls as our Collegiate Activist of the Year. We also had awards for children from both the Heartbeat Music Academy and the H.E.A.R.T (Higher Education And Rising Together) mentoring program.
This was a wonderful Christmas event benefiting San Diego’s Foster and underserved youth and encouraging them to attend and complete college
Traveling to Big Bear the air was filled with excitement as this would be each young man’s first opportunity to see the snow and even better snowboard. Though the ride was tight with each passing mile we grew more excited for what the weekend had in store. Once we arrived to our cabins everyone to a man jumped out to experience the snow, pure joy and excitement could be seen on each face.
The next morning we hit the snow OO made sure that we were equipped with the necessary clothing, gloves and gear, It was now time to hit the mountain. After an hour of fundamentals the guys began to get the hang of it and they were soon hitting the intermediate slopes. The entire day was full of non stop fun along with great conversation, later that night we walked around downtown Big Bear witnessing all the beauty that the quaint city had to offer.
By introducing our young men to the outdoors through exciting and joy-filled weekend, we both work to inspire underserved youth to see possibility and opportunity in their lives. We realize that through these positive types of events you began to see attitude and behavioral changes which help them become successful adults.
