by April | Community
Our Annual Christmas Awards breakfast took place Saturday Dec. 10th, 2016 at the Sheraton– 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.
Over the past 10 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 with over 400 families & children attending this celebratory breakfast. Many children and teenagers come from a variety of programs which include which include foster and area group homes
This year we honored Community Activist of the Year Awards going to Mathew Gordon (District 4 Community Representative), Aaron Harvey (Community Activist) and Tasha Williamson all of which have directly impacted young people’s lives on a regular basis.
We also honored administrators Staci Dent (Principal – Horton Elementary) and Lan Jefferson (All In San Diego) 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 Lawrence, Mercedes Tiggs as our Guardian Scholar of the Year for overcoming monumental obstacles to graduate from college along with a and Gerard Henry as Father 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.
by April | Community, Volunteerism
This year the young men of The Blue Heart Foundation’s mentoring program HEART (Higher Education And Rising Together) participated in the Annual San Diego Black Police Officers Association Thanksgiving Dinner drive. One of our core values is volunteerism, we feel its important to give back and serve our community regularly. But, don’t just use the hoiliday season to volunteer here are seven reasons to volunteer year round.
1. Mentoring younger kids – Mentoring younger kids is probably my favorite way to volunteer. I like to encourage other people to follow suit, however, I always let them know that mentees need consistency. You should always be there for them. Your mentoring is greatly appreciated and you can’t just decide when to go there. After all, it will be dispiriting for kids to never know when you’ll show up.
2. There’s always need – This is another great reason why you should volunteer the whole year round. There’s always somebody going sick or hungry, or somebody in need of clothes. Moreover, there is some organization that really needs your help. You don’t have to help every single day, but make it a rule to volunteer at least a few times a month.
3. Organizations rely on volunteers – There are many non-profit organizations that rely heavily on volunteers. It is important for these organizations to retain a great amount of volunteers the whole year round. There are environmental projects, animals, and people in need of their services anytime of the year.
4. It keeps you real and humble – Nowadays it is popular to be a volunteer. Some people do it in order to become famous, while others sincerely enjoy helping people in need. Volunteering is known to have a certain way of making everyone accountable for the way they act. Volunteering keeps you real and humble. I believe every person needs that.
5. Natural disasters occur year round – You know, natural disasters occur the whole year round and there are lots of families which get displaced when the disasters do happen. If you live in an area which is prone to floods, hurricanes, tornados, etc. make sure you look into when exactly these natural disasters tend to happen. Then, take every necessary step to help the food bank and local shelter stock up on food and other necessities in advance.
6. Inspire others to volunteer – If you enjoy helping people in need, why not inspire others to do the same? When you see someone donating some money in the grocery line to those $1 or $3 funds, perhaps you get inspired too. Inspire your family members, friends or coworkers to volunteer too. Explain them all of the wonderful advantages of volunteering.
7. It’s a great feeling – When you only volunteer during the holiday season, it can put you at a huge disadvantage for the rest of the year. Try to help out your favorite charity monthly and you will see that you will become much happier person. Volunteering gives us an amazing feeling. Even if you can only volunteer one day, it still counts. Your assistance will be highly appreciated, I promise.
In 2017, I hope you will volunteer the whole year round and help many people. You can give more than you think, remember it. Are you going to volunteer this year?
The Annual San Diego BPOA Thanksgiving Dinner drive benefited over 100 families, other amazing organizations that participated in this beautiful event that were Phi Beta Sigma, NFLPA, Sigma Gamma Rho, Brothers United and the San Diego Police Dept and was a great way to kick start the holidays
by April | Community
Watching the San Diego State Aztecs dominate Hawaii 55-0 after tailgating was a perfect way to celebrate the 2016-2017 SDSU homecoming . The young men participating in the H.E.A.R.T. mentoring program were truly in for a treat on this early Saturday evening. The victory in front of an announced crowd of 41,761 at Qualcomm Stadium showed flashes of how good the team could become.
The same could be said of the young men of H.E.A.R.T. of which young men with unlimited potential will come together and devote themselves towards aspirations of a higher education. Many of these young men could “fall through the cracks” due to lack of resources and/or opportunities afforded in the public education system. What we address are the other needs that young men need to make better decisions, learn to be goal oriented as well as focus on character development. Julien Moore would later say ““It’s nice to experience extraordinary things and have fun and just enjoy life after a long days work.” arriving shortly after completing his SAT Test earlier that day.
The exciting piece is that this was a complete effort as families came together in an opportunity to get to know each other better. There is nothing more critical than the support of family within Blue Heart and on this day many parents took the time to build a stronger more supportive familial bond.
This is an exciting time in these young men’s lives and we are looking forward to watching and tracking the growth of these 25 young men as they work to achieve success together. Be sure to watch their growth and cheer them on as they strive to reach their potential and beyond. Kaori McGowan summed the day up perfectly ” I had an absolutely amazing time hanging with my fellow brothers of blue heart this weekend at the SDSU game , it is the fun activities like this that bring us together as one big family.”
by April | Community, Volunteerism
Sunday October 30th, 2016 – We participated in a the 2nd Annual Hip Hop 5K a 3.1 mile walk/run through Southeast San Diego. Along with hundreds of local residents as well as visitors. All sorts of people participated 
with us as we ran/walked together through our neighborhoods in a show of solidarity, health and innovative thought. We want to create a spark of creativity and forward thinking in the community.
The overall goal of this 5k is to create a surge of positive energy and forward thinking in the residents of southeastern San Diego. We intend to accomplish this by demonstrating the wonders of physical activity, creativity and imagination with a combination of ART, FITNESS, CULTURE and COMMUNITY. Through this event we hope to rejuvenate the spirit of the people.
The entire vision for this project was carried out through the hard work of Dawud Hassan an extraordinary man who continuously works to better the local community… We look forward to running and volunteering again next year.
by April | Community, Volunteerism
We had an amazing day supporting San Diego County Fire Fighter’s as they climb the Hilton stairs in memory of the 403 Emergency Responders who paid the ultimate price on 9/11. Rising early Saturday morning, young men from the Blue Heart Foundation set out to volunteer at a stair climb held to honor firefighters, police and other emergency personnel killed in the collapse of the World Trade Center towers on Sept. 11, 2001.
The San Diego Firefighter 9-11 Memorial Stair Climb challenged firefighters, police, military personnel and civilians to ascend 110 stories at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. It began at 7 a.m.
Each year, approximately 100 firefighters die while serving their communities. Many more die from cancer, heart disease, neurological disorders, stroke, and other injuries and illnesses suffered as a result of their service. But we worked together to honor these sacrifices and care for the firefighters who assume these risks and the families who share them.
Each volunteer assisted by helping with setup, passing out water and then taking the trek up the stairs to challenge themselves as well as pay homage to those that paid the ultimate price that day. We climbed in the memory, and honor of the 343 FDNY Brothers, 23 NYPD Brothers and Sisters, and 37 Port Authority Brothers and Sisters, and to raise awareness of the sacrifices made by firefighters everywhere.
Funds raised benefited FirefighterAid (formerly the San Diego Firefighters’ Benevolent Fund,) the 501(c)(3) charity which cares for Firefighters and families through sickness, distress, and death.
by April | Community, Mentoring
On a beautiful Saturday morning we partnered with Outdoor Outreach for a two day Surf Camp trip. The next two days would open the mind and challenge the young men of HEART to come together and a team learn to thrive outside of their element. Both organizations utilize outside the box experiences to provide youth with the support, relationships, resources and opportunities they need to become successful adults. Two primary drivers facilitate positive transformation in the youth we both serve: 1) the opportunity for ongoing experiences that are safe, fun, positive and challenging, and 2) the relationships built and deepened within these organizations.
A.J. was initially reluctant and had to be encouraged to get out the car but as we took to the road all became excited, looking forward to an experience. From the start, excitement filled the air as the group arrived to their destination where sand and surf waited. Corwin was initially reluctant and had to be encouraged but once the safety and surf lesson was complete took to the water as if it was a natural experience. Alexezander normally quite reserved would later say “Man, I had a great time … Yeah I’d do it again” with huge smile.
After lunch the group packed up and prepared to head to San Clemente State Beach for the rest of the weekend. San Clemente State Beach is located at the south end of the city of San Clemente, California. The area around San Clemente is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish Colonial style architecture. The city slogan is “Spanish Village by the Sea.” Visitors are attracted to the San Clemente area for its intense winds and dramatic location.
The beautiful mile long beach stretches between the curling ocean surf and the foot of a steep bluff was the perfect setting to set up camp and spend time away from the inner city. First thing, first the young men set up camp, pitching four six person tents and getting their area prepared to spend the night. Once done it was off to the beach again… Now these waves were no joke. Xavier marveled saying “Wow… These are way bigger than the last beach!” as he grabbed his boogie board sprinting toward the crash waves. After a couple hours in the water it was time to head up for dinner.
The next morning we headed to San Clemente pier taking in the view of the Pacific Ocean and would walk back together enjoying the view, people and landscape. We ended the trip with more of the same sun, surfing and fun. Jason framed the time perfectly by saying “it was nice to get away and just chill with the bro’s…I definitely want to do it again.”
Through these experiences our guys garner a sense of achievement, which increases their confidence, self-esteem and resilience, and enables them to see new possibilities for their lives. Our youth form long-term mentor relationships through these types of experiences. When youth consistently show up and are supported, it allows them to break out of the negative cycles in their lives, like media perception, drugs, gangs, poverty, negative sterotypes and replace them with new positive cycles.
Over the past 10 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 with over 400 families & children attending this celebratory breakfast. Many children and teenagers come from a variety of programs which include which include foster and area group homes
We also honored administrators Staci Dent (Principal – Horton Elementary) and Lan Jefferson (All In San Diego) 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 Lawrence, Mercedes Tiggs as our Guardian Scholar of the Year for overcoming monumental obstacles to graduate from college along with a and Gerard Henry as Father 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.
