"Bridging Communities: Advocating for Non-Profits and Empowering Women's Leadership"
Over the past few months, we have been actively involved in community meetings and events. One of our recent trips was to Washington, where we worked with the LA Chamber of Commerce to advocate for non-profits in our area. Additionally, we participated in the Women's Leadership Series, another initiative organized by the LA Chamber of Commerce. Our goal is to build bridges with the community and engage in activities that promote growth and development for all individuals and organizations in our area. We believe that by working together, we can achieve more and create a better future for everyone.
Collaborating for Youth Empowerment: Building Networks among Salesian Clubs
We are actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with other Salesian clubs in the USA to better serve the youth of our communities. Recently, we organized a meeting with the three Salesian clubs in California, where we discussed the provincial strategic plan and established the Youth Center Commission. The commission will focus on exploring ways to improve our services for young people. The meeting was held in San Francisco, and we were pleased to have participation from key members of each of the clubs. We believe that working together and sharing resources will help us to achieve our common goal of positively impacting the lives of young people in our communities.
Systematizing Operations for Improved Youth Services: The Role of Documentation and Strategic Planning in the Salesian Family Youth Center.
We are working towards creating a systematic approach to our operations at the Salesian Family Youth Center. To achieve this, we have begun a process of documenting our best practices. Our goal is to create clear documents that will enable us to assess where we currently stand, and where we would like to be in the future. This documentation will serve as a valuable resource for our new strategic plan that is scheduled to commence at the end of 2024. By adopting a systematization mentality, we hope to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations.
We are part of a network that includes 22 countries!
We had an exciting meeting with the RASS network, which provides training and communication between 180 social works in 22 countries. The meeting was led by the RASS Director and his team and attended by our social works' representatives, where we discussed the importance of collaboration, a holistic approach to youth ministry, and volunteerism. The Salesian Family Youth Center is part of this network and benefited greatly from this training and support. We appreciate the RASS's commitment to the Salesian mission.
"Exploring Art, Culture, and Leadership: The Salesian Family Youth Center's Visit to Molaa Museum"
The Salesian Family Youth Center is grateful to the Chamber of Commerce for providing tickets to some of our young leaders to visit the Molaa Museum and walk around Long Beach. This event offers our young people the chance to learn about history, art, and culture while interacting with people from different backgrounds. We strive to provide well-rounded education, including cultural development, and we appreciate the Chamber's efforts in organizing the Women in Leadership Series. Our staff will ensure the young leaders have a safe and enriching experience. We're thankful for this opportunity and look forward to continuing to work together to create more opportunities for our youth to become tomorrow's leaders.
Inspiring Youth Through Faith and Resilience
We recently had the privilege of leading a Confirmation retreat for St. Mary's and Santa Isabel Church. Our goal was to provide a safe and nurturing environment for young people to discuss their spiritual journeys and explore their resilience. Through meaningful discussions and engaging activities, we encouraged the young participants to recognize their inner strength and the potential that they have to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the youth in our community, and we hope that our efforts have helped to inspire and empower the next generation of leaders.
March Youth Night
Our theme for March was vocations. We had a special guest speaker Sr. Estella who shared about discovering our calling. Students played icebreaker games, had group discussions, and did large group sharing.
Salesian Oratory!
We are thrilled to announce that our Saturday Oratory program is thriving! Our center offers a wide range of activities designed to foster the growth and development of children in our community. From arts and crafts to sports and games, we provide a safe and supportive environment for children to learn and have fun. We are proud to see the smiling faces of our young participants and to witness the positive impact that our program has on their lives.
Girls Scouts at the Salesian Family Youth Center
Girl Scouts are on their way to earning their “Adventure Awaits” patch. They are shown learning about letterboxing by completing a scavenger hunt around the club. They created their stamps and log books. Next, they will connect with the community and nature as they discover a letterbox outdoors. We plan to take a trip next month!
Leprechaun Traps
We Care members put their imagination, ingenuity, and creativity to the test by making leprechaun traps. The children were very excited to participate in this activity. Lots of glitter was used and no Leprechauns were harmed!
Supporting our leadership team with a Car Wash
The car wash was a huge success, and the community came together in support of the Leadership Team. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved, the fundraiser was able to raise funds to pay for the High School Senior expenses like prom, grad night, yearbook, and other Senior activities.
Basketball Tournament at the SFYC
Our local basketball tournament is back. Each year the SFYC hosts a tournament for all our local high school teams. This tradition lives on thanks to our very own Coach Oda.
Promoting STEM
This is our Robotics 3 day event competition. Our young people were excited to be part of this amazing opportunity and gain this experience. The event took place at Da Vinci Schools.
Thank you for taking the time to read our e-news! At the Salesian Family Youth Center, we are committed to empowering young people and building stronger communities through collaborative advocacy and strategic planning. We invite you to be a part of our mission by volunteering your time, donating to our cause, or simply spreading the word about our work. Together, we can create a brighter future for our youth and make a positive difference in the world. :)