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a publication of larkin street youth services
fall 2014
In this issue:
A Letter from Sherilyn
Page 1
New Trendlines Report Creating Opportunities through Education
&
“Voterization”:
Empowering Youth to Vote
Page 2
Program Highlights
Page 3
Holiday Gift Drive
Page 4
CFO Awards 2014
Page 5
Event Highlights
Page 6
Dear Friends,
Happy Holidays from Larkin Street Youth Services! As we near the end of 2014, I am struck by
how quickly the year passed by and the milestones we have to celebrate. This spring marked
our 30th anniversary! Throughout the year, we’ve revisited the theme: 30 Years Giving
Hope—we’ve looked back at our considerable accomplishments and worked even harder
to make sure that youth homelessness disappears before we can celebrate another 30 years.
Like the young people who walk through our doors, we look forward to a brighter future.
One of the greatest successes of 2014 for Larkin Street was the launch of our new Learning
Center, a first-of-its-kind program designed to accelerate the process toward college-and
career-readiness for homeless youth in our transitional living programs. The first cohort of
youth graduated in August, and their accomplishments are significant. The six-month program
developed its youth into leaders, problem-solvers, students, employees, and contributing
community members. We launched our second Learning Center this fall, and we
received a generous $50,000 challenge grant from the Bob A. Ross Foundation
to launch a third in early 2015. Help us meet the challenge! Contact Larkin Street’s
associate director of individual giving, Alexandra Horton ([email protected] or
(415) 673-0911 ext. 304), to find out more about how you can help us leverage this exciting
challenge grant.
We’re moving! We will soon break ground at 134 Golden Gate Avenue, which we will
refurbish to accommodate our Drop-In Center, medical clinic, education and employment
center, and administrative offices. Stay tuned as the renovation gets underway; we look
forward to a grand opening in 2015.
November is National Runaway Prevention Month and California Runaway and
Homeless Youth Month. You can find out more about what you can do to help raise
awareness and advocate for runaway and homeless youth on Larkin Street’s website: www.
larkinstreetyouth.org.
While we’ve spent much of 2014 reflecting on our history and looking forward to a bright
future, we must also focus on the now—the everyday challenges that homeless youth face
when they lack the stability of home, family, school, or other traditional support systems. The
holidays are a particularly difficult time for young people without a safe place to call home;
while many of us gather together with the people we love to celebrate the season, our youth
feel particularly alienated and alone.
This is why Larkin Street must work extra hard this time of year to build the sense of belonging,
nurturance, and support—a sense of home. Thank you now and throughout the year for
the role you play to make Larkin Street the home these young people deserve.
Sincerely,
Sherilyn Adams
Executive Director
Larkin Street Youth Services
New Trendlines Report:
Creating Opportunities
through Education
There are far too many youth today who are not engaged in
education or a part of the workforce, approximately 8,000
in San Francisco alone. They are off track to reach a future
that includes self-sufficiency, economic stability, and overall
well-being. An essential component to getting them back
on track is increasing their level of educational attainment to
expand the opportunities available to them that would support
their long-term independence and economic self-sufficiency.
Homeless youth are the most extreme case of disconnection, which means that they require the most intensive level of services to
get them back on track.
The latest addition to our Trendlines series, Creating Opportunities through Education, examines barriers that youth encounter
in their educational pursuits and the impact this has on their ability to find viable employment opportunities. It also discusses the
systemic issues that are failing to produce the type of employees that we need for today’s workforce. The unemployment rate for
16-24 year olds is 15%, over twice the national average. And ¼ of job losses for this group came after the end of the recession. One
of the major obstacles to increasing employment for this group is that they lack the necessary skills and knowledge.
We are failing our youth at every turn. Many youth fail to complete high school, not because they don’t want to continue, but
because life puts up too many roadblocks and schools make it easier to leave than to stay. If you become homeless you are 87%
more likely to stop going to school than a student who is stably housed. Far too often we’re graduating youth who are not prepared
for college or careers. And colleges are not prepared to support those youth who make it to their doors without being ready. Nor
are they equipped to deal with today’s student who is more often than not struggling to balance the competing life demands of
school, work, and family. Youth are undereducated and underemployed. We must do more to change that.
To read the full report visit the resource library on our website: www.larkinstreetyouth.org
This fall Larkin Street launched a “voterization” campaign - a combination of voter registration, education, and mobilization activities to engage our youth in the political process. These activities were designed to emphasize the importance of voting, to make it
easy for our youth to participate in the upcoming election, and to help develop a life-long commitment to political participation.
We conducted outreach with youth in our residential programs and held two agency-wide events to engageour youth. Together
the events provided opportunities for youth to get registered and educated about many of the important local propositions on this
year’s ballot by bringing Larkin Street youth together with community leaders.
“Voterization”:
Empowering
Youth to Vote
On October 15, we hosted a ‘Youth Rock the Vote’ event bringing together a number of guest
speakers and performers to inspire our youth to register to vote. Actor and comedian Donald
Lacy opened the night with a stirring speech about his work
to engage young people that left many in the audience in
tears. Later, Executive Director of the San Francisco Ethics
Commission, John St. Croix, spoke on the importance of
an engaged citizenry. The night closed with an inspiring
a cappella performance of the Frank Ocean hit song
“Thinking about You”, featuring two of Larkin Street’s own
youth as well as our special guest MC, singer, and community activist Wazi Davis. As youth completed registration, they also learned about the historical
significance of the vote as well as the importance of political engagement. Shemar Moore, who
was in attendance and registered to vote walked away very inspired stating, “I’m seeing a lot
of things that are making me want to use my voice and take initiative to bring about the type of
change I want to see.”
In addition to getting youth registered, we also want youth to exercise their right to vote.
One thing that stops youth from voting is that they don’t feel prepared and are unsure about
exactly what the many propositions on the ballot are all about. As one Lark Inn resident
said “I’m always confused and don’t know what many of these props mean and don’t know
where to go to find out.” The week before the election, we hosted our second event, the
Youth Voter Passport Day to address this lack of information. Each youth in attendance
received a passport to help guide them through some of the abundant propositions at the
state and local level. The event featured information stations hosted by leaders from youth
focused organizations in the community. Youth were able to move from station to station,
gathering information about each initiative, and getting stamps in their passport. They also
heard about opportunities to get more substantively involved in their communities.
The voterization campaign provided unique and exciting opportunities to engage our youth and to encourage them to seize the
potential of their political power. As Declan Cante shared “It’s our voice, but it only gets heard if we use it.”
2
Program Highlights
Youth Performing Arts Night
August 14, 2014
The Annual Performing Arts Night is an incredibly inspiring
evening of performances from our very own talented group of
artists and directed by Daniel Maradiaga, Art Program Manager.
This year’s theme, “Finding Our Way”, speaks to the path each artist has
been on, both with Larkin Street as they find their way in this world as well
as their journey as artists. From original songs, to spoken word, to monologues, the audience was pulled into the stories the young people shared
through this evening of performing arts.
This year’s Youth Performing Arts Night featured the following artists:
Declan Cante, Anna Aylesworth, Jhane Harris, Tru Ballard, Renee Chanell, Kevin
Hardesty, Dennis Jones, Joshua Cortez, Rose Pierce, Zenah Reinhardt, Klaine Justo
and special guests Debbie Neigher and Theresa Sawi.
We would like to extend a special thanks to all the staff and volunteers that helped
to put on this event and to our community partners, The Academy of Art University,
Music City’s Plug N Play Club, and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Pottery Barn Makeover Takeover!
Many Larkin Street Youth have never known what it feels like to truly
relax at home. This September, over 100 volunteers from Pottery Barn
transformed Geary House into a warm and inviting space for our youth.
The design team reimagined spaces on all four floors of the building,
including the gym, two community rooms, two study rooms, and a
patio deck. Over the course of two days, dozens of volunteers rolled up
their sleeves to deep clean, paint, and install the brand new Pottery Barn
furniture. The youth are thrilled with their new space and we couldn’t be
more grateful for our friends at Pottery Barn!
Cooking With Local Chefs
Every other Monday, Ben Nelsen, Food Service Coordinator at Larkin Street, and youth from
our programs are treated to a cooking class at the San Francisco Cooking School hosted by
The Cooking Project. Here they learn essential cooking skills taught by local chefs. The chefs
incorporate cooking skills and recipes that are accessible to anybody and everyone has a blast
cooking in the fabulous kitchen and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Learn more about The Cooking
Project at www.thecookingproject.org
Below is a recipe from the Kettle Cook’n class that Chef Nelsen taught.
Just a Cup of Tea or Coffee? Nah, many delicious and nutritious meals can be prepared with just an electric kettle!
“not
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
your campout ramen”
1 package of ramen , hold the seasoning packet
2 cups boiling water from your kettle
the zest of ½ lemon
½ tsp fresh ginger , minced
2 mint leaves , sliced
1-2 green onions
½ tsp dehydrated ( or fresh ) garlic
¼ tsp dehydrated ( or fresh ) cilantro
•2-3 mushrooms , minced
•1 handful of chopped red cabbage
•2 tbsp soy sauce
•a drizzle of toasted sesame oil & chili oil
•1 handful of broccoli slaw •the juice of ½ lemon
•salt and pepper to taste
•sriracha ( optional )
preparation :
1. collect all ingredients
listed , measure
them out and fabricate them ( chop , slice ,
2.
3.
dice , etc .)
place everything in an eating blow except
for the broccoli slaw , cabbage , the green part of the green
onion , lemon juice and sriracha .
turn kettle on
&
boil water . measure out
during the few minutes it takes
4.
noodles .
cups boiling
(3-4 min .)
to cook the
at the end , add the lemon juice , green onions , slaw , cab -
bage &
5. E njoy !!
3
2
water , add it to the bowl and cover . stir a couple times
sriracha ( if desired )
&
give it a good stir .
Brighten the holidays for San Francisco’s
homeless youth!
Help us provide gifts to more than 450
youth staying in our emergency
shelters and transitional living programs
or accessing our drop-in centers.
Donate items from the list below,
sponsor a holiday gift drive at your
work, community center, or faith-based
organization, or gather gifts with your
friends and family. Please bring or ship
new unwrapped gifts by Friday,
December 12, 2014 to:
Attn: Jessie Backer, 1138 Sutter St, SF, CA 94109
Donations accepted at 1138 Sutter St weekdays between 9:30am and 4:30pm.
GIFTS
MP3 players
Headphones
Backpacks
Muni/BART Passes
2015 Day Planners/Journals
Makeup Kits/Shaving Sets
Home Electronics/Cameras
Sporting Goods
School & Art Supplies
Camping Gear (Tarps, Sleeping Bags, etc.)
CLOTHING
Socks/Underwear
Shoes/Sneakers
Flip-Flops
Jeans/Pants
Belts
Business/Business Casual Wear
Jackets
Purses/Wallets
Ponchos/Rain Boots/Umbrellas
Watches
GIFT CARDS
Movie passes, events tickets (sports, music)
Clothing (Ross, GAP, Payless, Urban Outfitters, Macy’s, Old Navy)
Groceries (Safeway, Trader Joe’s, Target)
Restaurants (Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Pizza, Subway)
Music/Entertainment (Best Buy, REI, Sports Basement, Target)
Personal Care/Household (Walgreens, Rite-Aid, IKEA, Big Lots)
PERSONAL CARE ITEMS
Shampoo/Conditioner
Lotion
Soap
Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
Deodorant
Sewing Kits
Hair Dryers/Straighteners
Brushes/Combs
Perfume/Cologne
First-Aid Kits
HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Plates/Bowls/Cups/Utensils
Pots/Pans
Linens/Bedding/Blankets
Alarm Clocks
Small Appliances
Flashlights
Questions or to make special gift drop-off arrangements please contact:
Jessie Backer at (415) 673-0911 x 221 or [email protected]
Your contribution is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law
4
Ninth Annual Bay Area CFO Awards
June 5, 2014
This past June, Larkin Street Youth Services, in partnership with the San Francisco Business Times (SFBT), honored
Bay Area Chief Financial Officers at the Westin St. Francis Hotel with a reception, dinner, and awards ceremony.
With over 500 guests in attendance, 12 CFOs were honored with an award including the Lifetime Achievement
Award which went to Bob Swan, CFO of eBay, Inc. This year’s fundraising efforts topped out previous numbers
with over $467,000 raised for Larkin Street’s services and programs! Thank you to all the attendees that made this
event possible and especially to the list of our generous sponsors below:
Title
mobile giving
lifetime award
leadership
finalist reception
platinum
alumni table
main reception
Gold
Crowe Horwath LLP, Dodge & Cox, eBay Inc., Gilead Sciences, Inc.,
Morgan Stanley, Netflix, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., and Willis
silver
Bay Area Council, DZH Phillips, Goldman Sachs, Protiviti, Recology Inc., and Rocket Fuel
bronze
Moss Adams, Reed Smith, RiseSmart, and United Way of the Bay Area
larkin street sponsors
Charlie & Leslie Dicke, Laura Powell & Chuck Byce, Barbara & Art Fatum, Phil Estes, McGladry, LLP,
Mary M. Prchal, Presidio Bank, and Karon Stirling & John Whiting
media sponsor
wine sponsor
San Francisco Business Times
Kendall-Jackson
SAVE THE DATE
The 2015 Bay Area CFO of the Year Awards
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at the Westin St. Francis.
For information on sponsorship opportunities & tickets, or to nominate your favorite CFO,
please email: cfoawards @ larkinstreetyouth.org
5
“THIS IS IT!”
Friends of Larkin Street
Annual Gala
June 28, 2014
Fifth Annual Larkin Street
Golf Tournament
September 15, 2014
A great time was had by all who attended the Fifth Annual Larkin
Street Golf Tournament on September 15th. It was a beautiful day
on the greens at Lake Merced Golf Club with contests, lunch, and
plenty of friends enjoying the sunshine while raising money for Larkin Street. The day culminated with a post-tournament reception
which included a silent auction and an awards ceremony. All in all,
the event raised a record $62,295 for Larkin Street!
Special Thanks to the
VIP Lounge Sponsor:
SHARP
-
Development Company, Inc.
Thank you to all the golfers, volunteers, and friends that made the
tournament such a success, especially to the list of our generous
sponsors below:
Leadership
Reception
East Bay Jewish Foundation
Golf Cart
Fusion Storm and Gap Inc.
Golfer Gift Bag
Symetra
Lunch
Aetna and
Shea Labagh Dobberstein
Mulligan
Xilinx
Putting Contest
Bandworks
Hole & Beverage Cart
Art & Barbara Fatum
Fusion Storm
Terry & Suzan Kramer
Lockton Insurance Brokers
Mass Mutual
Mary M. Prchal
Mercer and
Willock Partners
Friends of Larkin Street held their annual gala on June 28,
2014 at Hotel Kabuki raising more than $66,000 for
Larkin Street. Over 300 guests decked out in their best
70’s evening glam enjoyed delectable bites and wonderful wine and cocktails. The entire party danced the night
away during performances by Foreverland, the Michael
Jackson cover band, and world class DJ- JBoogie. Silent
auction items included a private flight to the Monterey
Bay for whale watching adventure and lunch, a 5-day
escape to the Caribbean, and Courtside Club seats for
the Warriors. “What could be better than bringing great
food, great wine, and a night full of dancing together for
an equally great cause,” noted Anna Rembold, Friends of
Larkin Street Board Member. “Since the commencement
of Friends of Larkin Street in 2009, we have raised more
than $280,000 for Larkin Street Youth Services.”
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!
Monday, October 5, 2015 at Lake Merced Golf Club, Daly City
Please contact events @ larkinstreetyouth.org for sponsorship
opportunities.
6
Join Us
Friends of Larkin Street
Annual Holiday Ice-Skating Party
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Justin Herman Plaza – Embarcadero Ice Rink
www.friendsoflarkinstreet.org
Paving the Way Gala
March 4, 2015
6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Four Seasons Hotel
www.pavingthewaygala.org
Ways to Get Involved
Help During the Holidays
The holidays are a great time to get involved with Larkin Street and
make a difference for homeless youth. Here are some ways that you
can help us during the holiday season:
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Check out our Holiday Gift Drive and circulate it to your friends,
family and co-workers
Adopt a program to provide gifts or a holiday meal for 5-20 youth
Donate holiday decorations
Cook and drop off a dish for our holiday celebrations
If you’d like to know more about any of these opportunities, please
email [email protected]. Thank you!
Donate
Online at www.larkinstreetyouth.org
Mail using the enclosed remit envelope.
10th Annual Bay Area
CFO of the Year Awards
June 10, 2015
6:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Westin St. Francis
www.cfoawards.org
Save a tree & be informed
Join our E-News list and get updates on
advocacy, blog posts, events, and news.
Visit our website www.larkinstreetyouth.org
Or email kwarren @ larkinstreetyouth.org with
your name and email
Larkin Street Youth Services
701 Sutter Street, Suite 2
San Francisco, CA 94109
T (415) 673-0911
F (415) 749-3838
www.larkinstreetyouth.org
Board of Directors
Officers
Laura Powell, Chair
Terry Kramer, Vice Chair
Art Fatum, Treasurer
Nina Hatvany, Secretary
Jeremy Avenier, At-Large
Charles Dicke, At-Large
Blake Jorgensen, At-Large
Allison N. Wysocki, At-Large
Sherilyn Adams, Executive Director
Board Members
Susan K. Alexander
Chris Brahm
The mission of Larkin Street
Youth Services is to create
a continuum of ser vices
that inspires youth to
move beyond the street.
We will nurture potential,
promote dignity, and
support bold steps
by all.
Teresa Briggs
Daniel A. Cody
Conor Famulener
Katherine Fraser, D.M.H.
Bob Garrett
Jim Henry
Ernest Maddock
Adam Moise
Philip Schlein
Aaron C. Schwartz
Sandra Stangl
Christine A. Tsingos
Carla Washington
Charles J. Wibbelsman, M.D.
C. David Zoba