It was a beautiful Saturday morning when The Blue Heart Foundation met with partner organization 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 as a team and live 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.
As we took to the road all were excited and looking forward to an experience that few had previously experienced… From the start, excitement filled the air as the group arrived to their destination where sand and surf waited. Brothers Jamil and Amir were initially hesitant but once the safety and surf lesson was complete took to the water as if it was a natural experience. Jamil 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. Park Hours 6:00 am-10:00 pm
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. Kameron 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 evening wrapped up with time to watch the sun go down and learn a higher appreciation of each other as well as life. Next thing you know Smore’s wear on deck and once all had their fill one by one each young man hit the tent for a night’s sleep. The next morning there were pancakes and more of the same surfing and fun. Julien 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 drugs, gangs, poverty, abuse, and neglect, and replace them with new positive cycles.
