June eNews: Anti-Racist Solidarity & Updates from YES

Dear friends,

We are heartbroken as we mourn the loss of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and too many others. We are heartbroken by the harm done to Black people due to weaponized systemic racism.

These events enrage us, and also propel us to continue to fight injustice, and to nurture connection to the earth in our Black and Brown communities. This means reclaiming and increasing belonging, safety, and equity in parks, open spaces, and in our neighborhoods. This means standing in solidarity and working against systemic racism and lack of awareness of privilege. We all must stand together, and at YES we come together to provide access and break down barriers facing those historically excluded from the outdoors, and we collaborate at the forefront of the movement to increase equity and inclusivity in the outdoors.

I'm so grateful to the YES team for creating brave spaces to discuss power, privilege, and white supremacy culture. We recognize, acknowledge, and commit to undoing racism. Here are some anti-racism resources we believe in and invite you to utilize.

Authentic conversation and connection have always formed the basis of YES’s model for developing leadership, resilience, and community empowerment. Profound experiences in nature are a central element of this work, and while we shelter in place we have been able to connect with our participant community through phone calls and virtual gatherings, continuing our essential work of nurturing leaders and strengthening a resilient community. Please read on to know more about what our work looks like right now, what the summer holds, and some special projects including a brand new website.

On behalf of everyone at YES,

Eric Aaholm

Resilience Fund for YES Families

Through the conversations our staff are having day-in and day-out with participants, we witness their strengths and we share in their celebrations - graduations, weddings, births, and more - that are part of the fabric of each of our lives even amidst the pandemic. And, we hear about and offer support and empathy through the tears, concern, uncertainty, and sadness.

Our team has worked diligently to share resources, provide virtual programming, and continue to keep relationships with our participant community strong through one-to-one and small group conversations. Witnessing the hardship in our community led us to launch a Resilience Fund, through which we will provide direct financial assistance to YES families. This will be a primary focus alongside programming in the weeks and months ahead, as we develop new systems, policies, and skills to implement this project as quickly as possible.

Youth Leaders Graduate & Complete Parks Project

While sheltering in place, we’ve continued to virtually convene our two teen cohorts, the Coastal Conservation Corps and the Youth Engagement Team. The YES Youth Engagement Team completed their 10-month project at the end of May, and graduated in a beautiful Zoom graduation ceremony led expertly by Youth Engagement Specialist Joanna Pulido. 

Joanna reflected:

“It’s exciting to realize that this is our 10th cohort of Youth Engagement Teams! It’s especially amazing the peer-to-peer education that has been accomplished through these ten projects, I can only imagine how many lives were touched. I was so grateful the teens could conduct peer education about healthy physical activity at Winter Camp [just before shelter-in-place started]. Two participants were at first nervous about presenting, but once they did they felt really good about it and more confident. These moments of leadership where teens are impacting people’s perspectives are incredible.”

During the graduation, we heard from staff and participants about their project to promote healthy outdoor recreation and improve conditions at our local Nicholl Park.

We’re pleased to share this video with you, which looks back at the hard work, leadership, research, and changes this dedicated group of teens accomplished together!

Summer Programs & Beyond

As we enter our first summer in 21 years without the usual excitement and anticipation of hundreds of youth experiencing overnight camp, YES and our partners are leveraging our creativity, strength and resilience to design programs that will connect youth and families to the outdoors. 

When and if we can do so safely, YES will host day outings at beloved local and regional parks to provide youth and families the chance to reconnect, heal, play, explore, learn, and decompress together in nature. For fall and beyond, we’re exploring multiple scenarios to ensure we can safely engage in nature both virtually and in person, and be versatile to continue to meet our mission as we navigate new waters.

Access to nature is more important than ever, and we are committed to connecting our community to nature so that Mother Nature can keep doing her work of healing, inspiring, and bringing joy and solace.

New Website

We have launched a brand-new website that we hope you’ll enjoy. It’s rich with pictures, videos, quotes, and the framework and vision behind our work.

Need reminders that nature brings smiles, joy, solace, and adventure into our lives? Want to get reacquainted with YES’s leadership framework? Have some time to pass and want an alternative to your social media feed? Come join us for a while at www.yesfamilies.org

Wondering how you can help?

Stay tuned! Our summer fundraising campaign will launch next week by mail, and the week after that by email.

Keep your eyes on your inbox for "Bonfire Days" when your donation can be doubled by a generous anonymous donor.

Inspired to help now and don’t want to wait? Visit www.yesfamilies.org/donate.

Thanks!