2018-19 ANNUAL REPORT

20 years of nurturing change-makers and outdoor leaders Outdoor Adventures FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Friends, St. Dorothy’s Rest American River Just as it has been for 20 years, when you join YES CYO Camp today, you become part of a family. For participants, time spent in nature alongside trusted peers and staff lets them be their genuine, best selves, and opens Tomales Bay their hearts to discovery and possibility. Our partners, funders, staff, and long-time volunteers nourish our family tree by helping to ensure access to high-quality programs that provide these positive experiences for Point Reyes National Seashore youth and families. Martinez Regional Shoreline Point Pinole Regional Park Black Diamond YES’s unique, holistic approach – supporting the whole Mines Regional Wildcat Canyon Regional Park Preserve child, engaging the whole family – is central to the Nicholl Park success we’ve had over the course of two decades, Richmond Greenway Kennedy Grove Regional Park Alvarado and creates multi-generational impact. The young Regional Park Briones Regional Park Richmond Marina people who joined our family over a decade ago are China Camp Miller Knox Regional Shoreline the leaders of today. Fourteen YES youth successfully Tilden Park graduated from high school in 2019, and then spent Cragmont Sibley Volcanic their summer in advanced leadership positions and Point Bonita Rock Park Regional Preserve Sierra Nevada jobs that took them across the state and to new countries. Adults in our new Adult Leadership Pathway Crab Cove Redwoods Regional Park completed a six-month leadership program, and “The trips I went on were are now training a new group of leaders to become Lake Chabot fun-filled, with opportunities empowered agents for change. to learn... [they] helped me We are dedicated to supporting and nurturing the discover myself, and how members of this YES family on their journeys as resilient, earth-connected leaders. I’m grateful to the I feel for the environment community that makes our work thrive, and honored to Coyote Hills Regional Park wouldn’t be the same without share the impact of our work with you in these pages. Sincerely, Camp Days, Day Trips, YES. I even made my family Richmond Rangers stop using plastic straws Summer Camp because I told them how bad Backpacking Trips those hurt the ocean and the Eric Aaholm Kayak Trips, Rafting sea turtles. Even though it Executive Director Trips Family Camp, was just my family, we are Winter Camp OVY Camp Adult Leadership already making a difference.” YMCA Camp Jones​ Gulch Retreats —Jocelyn Mountain Bike Trips YMCA Camp Loma​ Mar

Channel Islands National Park OUR ENGAGED COMMUNITY WINTER CAMP: TEEN LEADERS IN ACTION This year, YES engaged 573 underrep- resented youth and adults from Rich- YES’s three-day Winter Camp was a mond and surrounding West Contra deeply impactful, mid-year gathering Costa County through over 100 days of for 40 youth of all ages. They hiked programming. Our holistic, whole-family the blustery Marin coast, laughed approach and strong relationship-building through team-building activities, gained practices served as the foundation for knowledge during health and wellness activities ranging from public speaking activities led by YES teens, and joined to- workshops to wilderness backpacking gether in music-making. Youngsters were trips, all empowering Richmond youth, riveted by both the content and their teen adults, and families to lead healthy, role models. Camper favorites included connected lives; motivate change in their “getting to see the Golden Gate bridge”, neighborhoods; and inspire a safe, thriv- “the night hike”, “memories made in the ing community. dorm” and, simply put, “the Nature.”

NEW COASTAL CONSERVATION ADULT LEADERSHIP CORPS FUNDED PATHWAY LAUNCH

New, pivotal funding from the Coastal YES launched our new Adult Leadership Commission WHALE TAIL Grants Program and Pathway to empower underrepresented California State Coastal Conservancy deepened Richmond residents to improve communi- our emphasis on conservation and environmen- ty conditions. During the six-month Adult tal justice. Through YES’s new “Coastal Conser- Leaders cohort, participants of diverse vation Corps,” teens convene regularly to learn backgrounds and ages examined social about coastal conservation issues and prepare injustices, built meaningful relationships for trips to Monterey Bay, Limantour Beach, and support systems, learned organizing Bolinas Lagoon, and more! Grant-supported principles, identified their strengths as partnerships with conservation agencies will leaders, and developed the skills to make provide opportunities for teens to explore new change for themselves and their communi- habitats, conduct hands-on conservation sci- ty. Graduates progressed into the Fellows ence, and train to educate peers and families. cohort to deepen their skills, and will help teach this year’s incoming Leaders.

TEACHING SPANISH, TRAILBLAZERS FOR EQUITY & INCLUSION STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY IN THE OUTDOORS

YES nurtured the strengths of Richmond Who belongs in nature? We all do! YES is at the forefront of residents, who realized long-held dreams the movement for equity and inclusion for underrepresented as a result. Four Adult Leadership Pro- youth and families in the outdoors. This year we took our

Highlights & Accomplishments gram participants met a community need efforts and expertise to the 2019 Children & Nature Network for connection across language barriers International Conference. Alongside conference founder between Latinx and African-American Richard Louv and other environmental leaders, YES Executive families by planning and teaching a Director Eric Aaholm and Program Director Blanca Hernández series of interactive Spanish classes for led workshops and served as panelists, sharing our program Richmond parents. The Leaders facili- models, values, relationship-building approach, and cultural tated laughter and learning over food, relevancy practices, as well as a call-to-action to nurture and music, and board games like ¡Lotería! empower the next generation of environmental leaders and The project will continue in 2020. decision-makers. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURE “When you’re Immersing Youth outdoors, it’s in Nature usually quiet. When you’re in ES forged connections to nature for over 250 the nature, at Yunderrepresented youth ages 8 to 18 through our Youth Leadership Pathway. During residential, nature- ease, you feel like based Summer Camps, connection to nature began amidst supportive peers and adults. Through a partnership with the Regional Park District, adolescent Richmond you’ve let off a Rangers participants engaged in a ten-month program of hikes, canoe adventures, and hands-on nature education. big burden.” Teens in our Camp-to-Community (C2C) program spent over — YES youth, age 12 25 days immersed in nature. C2C teens also engaged in year- round mentorship, job and academic goal-setting, and peer education addressing community health and environmental justice. At our Winter Camp and Family Camps, activities led by YES participants, staff, and dedicated volunteers provided opportunities to deepen connections – to each other and to the earth. “I gained a lot of knowledge about forests and 91% 95% animals and leg

Increase in comfort with Percentage of Camp- muscles.” the outdoors as a result to-Community teens of Summer Camp, Winter spending more time — Richmond Rangers Camp, and Camp Days outdoors independently programming. because of their participant, age 11 engagement with YES. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITIES “Leadership means to Empowering Resilient, me that there’s always Earth-Connected Leaders someone watching me who’s younger than me, that wants to do what ES’s Youth and Adult Leadership Pathways train participants I’m doing. So I have to do Yas leaders in the outdoors, and empower them to help shape what’s right, to lead by their environments into healthy, thriving communities. example for them.” In 2016, a friend invited Tajzhane to a meeting of YES’s Youth Engagement Team, where she found supportive, accepting peers — Tajzhane, YES Teen Leader and adults. Now, Tajzhane is first on every sign-up list, from Winter and Camp Counselor Camp to rock climbing, to the Mountain Bike Club and beyond. This year, Tajzhane reached a milestone on her leadership journey, gaining leadership and environmental education experience, by working all summer as a Camp Counselor.

Cindy joined YES’s Adult Leaders Program to address the disparities she saw in access to healthy food and educational opportunities. When parents in a local school identified a communication gap between Spanish-speaking and English- speaking families, she and three fellow Adult Leaders created “Through this program, and led weekly Spanish classes in a fun, welcoming environment, I definitely gained more bringing neighbors together and building community. public speaking skills, communication skills, and doing it effectively. I implemented my public speaking skills by teaching 97% 85% 65% Spanish to adults – it pushed me to talk and Increase in clarity Percentage of YES teens Increase in confidence of purpose by Adult who gained leadership leading projects and work with a big audience.” Leadership Program skills that they can apply working with peers by participants. in their daily lives as a Adult Leadership Program — Cindy, Adult Leaders Graduate result of the Camp-to- graduates. and Fellows Participant Community program. TWO DECADES OF MEMORIES AND MILESTONES Financial Our Donors Celebrating 20 Years of YES Statement YES extends our great gratitude to the hundreds of individual donors and the volunteers and partners ince 1999, YES has brought the wonder and power of nature into the lives of thousands of youth that make our work possible. Sand families, and supported hundreds of teens and adults to step forward as leaders. REVENUE & SUPPORT As we celebrate these 20 years, we are grateful to the many partners, donors, volunteers, staff, and participants who make our work possible, guide and support us, and make up the “YES family tree.” FOUNDATION AND East Bay Audiologists Evergreen Painting Reminisce with us at www.yesfamilies.org/20. GOVERNMENT FUNDERS Farmers Insurance: Ruth Stroup Agency Bernard E. & Alba Witkin Charitable Garden Architecture Foundation Glass Concepts YES sends 2,000 youth to summer GT Inspects 1999 camp between 1999 and 2005! Bill Graham Supporting Foundation California Coastal Commission* Gustave Carlson Design YES founder Chamberlin Family Foundation Hardwood Floors by Milton Diane Mintz provides City of Richmond Navichoque scholarship for 81 Clarence E. Heller Charitable HD Drywall Richmond youth to 1999-2005 Foundation Ian Iwane, DDS go to sleep-away Clif Bar Family Foundation Inspector Ian summer camps. Contra Costa Kids, Inc. Kaiser Permanente Contra Costa Health Services Law Offices of Bonnie K Bishop M.A. Hays, Inc. 2004 Crescent Porter Hale Foundation Foundations . . . . . 56% East Bay Community Foundation Marvin Gardens Real Estate Individuals...... 26% Environmental Volunteers YES hosts our first weekend-long Dean & Margaret Lesher Millwork Management Government Grants. . .9% Moran Engineering Family Camp in the redwoods. Corporate Donations. . 8% Foundation* 2007-08 Five Arts Fund MPR Financial Earned Income. . . . . 1% Friends of George Miller North Berkeley Investment We hire an executive Hellman Foundation* Partners director and open YES goes year-round Pinnacle Home Loans with new, local out- TOTAL. . . . $1,030,363 Irene S. Scully Fund our first Richmond Miranda Lux Foundation Planned Parenthood Northern office. ings, partners with California 2010 East Bay Regional Quest Foundation Satterberg Foundation* Property ID Park District, and the Realty Advocates Camp-to-Commu- Save the Redwoods League The California Endowment* Red Oak Realty nity teen program Reliable Electric is born! EXPENSES The Lampert Byrd Foundation 2012 The Morrison & Foerster Roemer Painting Foundation Rudolph Widmann Architects The San Francisco Foundation Shrem Law The Stuart Foundation Studio KDA YES organizes the North Richmond Network, con- A new focus on health The Wolfgang Fund, East Bay Synergy Enterprises vening more than 20 agencies to improve school and 2013-17 fuels the launch of Community Foundation Tencue Productions family engagement and health at Verde Elementary. YES’s adult Wellness Youth Outside* The Bull Valley Roadhouse Program; participants The Energy Coalition help organize the * Multi-year grants The Grubb Co. YES receives Outstanding Nonprofit of the Year award Walk to Nature com- Thornwall Properties from the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 2016 munity-wide health Todd Jersey Architecture event. CORPORATE & Truitt & White Unitarian Universalist Church of AGENCY FUNDERS Berkeley University of California, Berkeley AmazonSmile 2017 We align our programs within a 10-year Leadership Path- Vesper Society Anaviv Catering & Events way to engage youth year-round from age 8 through 18. West Summit Cabinetry Big Chief Tree Service Winkler Real Estate Group Blue Heron Builders Programs...... 75% Yovino-Young Ten YES youth obtain jobs in the outdoors – BNSF Railway Company † Fundraising...... 16% Bridge Association of REALTORS 2018 up from five in previous years! † YES received this funding in Management & Cerami Builders December 2018. Based on our Three youth alumni are hired to work Administration. . . . .9% Chevron Richmond Refinery values and strong partnership with with YES as Weekend Trip Leaders. Contra Costa Association of East Bay Regional Park District, we The Adult Leadership Pathway is re- YES turns 20 while providing 100 days of pro- TOTAL. . . . $1,073,797 REALTORS will no longer accept funds from designed and re-launched. 2019 gramming for Richmond youth and families. District Homes this agency. MISSION

In partnership with nature, YES Nature to Neighborhoods nurtures leaders who champion the wellbeing of our community.

VISION

Our vision is for Richmond youth, adults, and families to lead healthy, connected lives; motivate change in their neighborhoods; and inspire a safe, thriving community.

YES TEAM

STAFF Eric Aaholm, Executive Director “Today especially, YES has a staff of Blanca Hernández, Program Director Claire McMurtry, Development & such heart and such passion that it Communications Manager Maria Chan, Operations & HR Manager allows people, it encourages people Vencel Alfred, C2C Fellows Coordinator Peter Walker-Flom, C2C Youth Leaders Coordinator to follow their dreams.” Angelica Delgado, Adult Leaders Coordinator Joanna Pulido, Youth Engagement Specialist — Diane Mintz, YES Founder Yuliana Solis, Bilingual Program Associate Pearl Penumaka, Development & Communications Associate Aswun James, Peer Advocate “YES is a seed planted in Richmond. BOARD OF DIRECTORS It sprouts and grows into a towering Mike McLively, Board Chair Jean Hyams, Vice Chair tree, drops its acorns and leaves, Lisa Hammon, Secretary Matthew Gatt, Treasurer young trees sprout – the cycle Zak Klein continues – a forest is born.” Ann Higgins AnnaLise Hoopes Sonya Watson — Ann Higgins, YES Board Member Peter Roopnarine Francis Tompkins Tana Monteiro Diego Cepeda Jabeen Yusuf

FOUNDER Diane Mintz

3029 Macdonald Ave. Richmond, CA 94804 (510) 232-3032 yesfamilies.org