2019-20 ANNUAL REPORT
YES engaged nearly 300 participants and family members in 2019/20 despite the impact of COVID-19. Along with our community members, we would like to thank the many stakeholders who made leadership programming and vital access to the outdoors possible for YES youth and families.
They include:
817 individual donors
33 foundations
62 businesses and in-kind sponsors; and
70 volunteers
To read about how your donations make an impact, check out our 2020 year end fundraising letter.
YES RESILIENCE FUND
YES staff responded quickly to the onset of the pandemic to make care calls to participants. Families expressed concerns related to job loss, food insecurity, and health and education needs. In response, YES launched a Resilience Fund that so far has distributed $500 cash grants to 130 families. Knowing that families’ struggles will continue with the next virus surge, a second phase of fund distribution will begin over the winter holidays and carry into 2021.
NATURE DAY OUTINGS
Recognizing the critical role that nature can play during stressful times, YES worked closely with our partner East Bay Regional Park District to design Nature Day Outings in lieu of congregate summer and family camps. The program launched in August and has already brought more than 60 families to nearby regional parks for local, weekend outings. Families arrive in household units or “pods” that allow for safe physical distancing. YES staff and partners lead stations where families have the opportunity to get physical, learn about the history of the park, discover flora and fauna with the guidance of naturalists, and let loose and have fun. Meals are provided as well as backpacks full of nature supplies that families keep and can use again when they go outdoors.
Young Adult Program
Funded by Proposition 64, planning for the Young Adult Program for YES alumni ages 19-26, began in April. The program, which includes job training and advocacy, will examine the failed policies of the War on Drugs and promote substance abuse awareness. Adult Leaders Coordinator, Angelica Delgado, will oversee the program with support from Blanca Hernandez, Program Director, the Young Adult Engagement Specialist and a UC Berkeley MSW intern.
OUR BELOVED TEAM
Staff began working from home on March 16th, and because of our status as “non-essential workers,” we will continue to work remotely through the end of 2020 and beyond if necessary. While everyone prefers in-person gatherings versus endless hours on Zoom, our team has done an exceptional job of supporting one another, our families, and the broader YES community during a tumultuous time. On November 7th, 2020 the staff and board came together to make personal connections and share the work that both teams have done to further our Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) practices. We look forward to continuing on this journey together and supporting YES leaders and the outdoor/environmental field to move towards implementing more concrete practices of equity and inclusion in 2021 and beyond.