Stronger Together: The Power of the Salesian Social Network in AMERICA!

By JC Montenegro

When Don Bosco began his work with young people in Turin, he responded to the reality he saw in front of him. He encountered young people who needed education, opportunity, guidance, community and, perhaps most importantly, someone who believed in them.

More than 180 years later, that mission continues around the world.

Recently, I had the opportunity to represent Salesian Family Youth Center at the XVII Meeting of Red América Social Salesiana, RASS, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Salesian Social Works Network from across the Americas came together around a common question: How can we work together to better serve children and young people, especially those who need us the most?

For me, this is where the real value of a network like RASS begins.

A Global Mission Lived Locally

At Salesian Family Youth Center, our mission is deeply local. We know our young people, their families, our schools and our neighborhoods. We encounter the challenges facing our Los Angeles community every day.

But we are also part of a global Salesian mission.

Around the world, Salesian social works accompany young people facing migration, violence, unemployment, educational barriers, homelessness, social exclusion and many other challenges.

The circumstances may be different, but our mission is the same: to be present where young people need us most.

Working together allows us to learn from one another instead of trying to develop every solution on our own. An effective practice in one country can inspire a new approach somewhere else. Research can be shared. Staff can be trained. Partnerships can be developed. Mistakes and lessons learned can help others move forward.

In that sense, RASS is more than a network of organizations. It can become a network of solutions.

Understanding Poverty Differently

One important reflection for me is how we understand poverty.

Poverty is certainly economic, and we should never minimize the serious consequences of lacking the resources necessary to meet basic needs. But poverty can also be experienced through other forms of deprivation.

For a young person, what is missing may be access to quality education, a safe environment, mental health support, stable relationships, employment opportunities, or simply an adult who listens and believes in them.

This broader understanding matters to us as Salesians because Don Bosco teaches us to see the whole young person, not simply the problem in front of us.

Our mission is not only to ask, “What does this young person lack?” We must also ask, “What does this young person need in order to grow?”

And then we must recognize what is already there: talent, creativity, dreams, resilience, faith and potential.

Young People at the Center

One of the strongest messages of the RASS meeting came from young people themselves.

They want to be heard. They want safe spaces. They want adults who accompany them without judgment. They want opportunities to learn, work, create and lead. Above all, they want us to believe in them.

This challenges all of our Salesian works to ask an important question:

Are we simply creating programs for young people, or are we creating opportunities with them?

At SFYC, giving young people a voice is something we continue to develop intentionally. Young people should not appear only in our photographs, reports or statistics. Their experiences, ideas and aspirations should help shape our programs and the way we communicate our mission.

They are not simply beneficiaries of Salesian work. They are protagonists in it.

What SFYC Brings to the Network

Being part of RASS is not only about what SFYC can receive. We also have something to contribute.

Over the years, we have learned that good communication is part of good stewardship. Our social media presence and public relations efforts help us communicate the Salesian mission and build relationships with our wider community. Our year end reporting helps us remain transparent and accountable to our partners, supporters and the people we serve.

These practices build something essential: trust.

We also bring our experience of working with a diverse and multicultural community in Los Angeles and our commitment to creating spaces where young people can express themselves and participate.

These are practices we can share with the network. At the same time, other Salesian organizations have knowledge and experience that can help SFYC become better.

That is what a healthy network should do. Everyone contributes. Everyone learns.

From Donations to Partnerships

Sustainability was another important conversation during RASS.

For social works like ours, sustainability cannot simply mean raising more money. It means building long term relationships based on trust, transparency, shared responsibility and impact.

One phrase from the meeting captured this clearly:

“We have to move from donation to partnership.”

Donations will always be important, but sustainable mission requires something deeper. Businesses, foundations, government agencies, schools, universities, churches, community organizations and individuals can become partners in creating opportunities for young people.

This is also why communication and accountability matter. When we clearly communicate what we do, demonstrate impact, use resources responsibly and maintain strong relationships, we create the trust that makes long term partnerships possible.

Turning a Network into Mission

The impact of the Salesian mission around the world is extraordinary, but our strength is not simply in our numbers. Our strength comes from our ability to connect local experience with a shared mission.

Something learned in Los Angeles can help a Salesian work elsewhere. Something developed in another country can eventually benefit a young person walking through the doors of SFYC.

That is the opportunity RASS gives us.

We cannot respond to every form of poverty alone. We cannot solve every challenge facing young people by ourselves. But we can listen to one another, share what works, learn from our mistakes, build partnerships and give young people a meaningful place in the conversation.

At Salesian Family Youth Center, we are proud to bring our experience to this shared mission, and we return from RASS with an equally important responsibility: to turn the strength of our network into real opportunities for young people.

Because ultimately, the value of a network is not measured by how many organizations belong to it.

It is measured by what becomes possible for young people because we belong to it.