YMCA News RSS Feed

Boys Basketball Program 3rd8thgrades

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:16:00 GMT

REGISTRATION & PARENT’S ORIENTATION

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2011

FROM 6:00-7:45PM

For more information, please contact Celestino R. Ellington, Sports Director at 415.822.7728 ext. 226.

Download Flyer here

Toeing the tiara line

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:51:00 GMT

49ersBVHP YMCA Bowl for Youth Video

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:31:00 GMT

Check out the video from our wondferful Bowlathon!

Models R Us

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 17:01:00 GMT

The NOW HIRING PROJECT-Youth Employment Readiness Workshops for you interested in the following:

*Job Placement Assistance

*Internship Opportunities

*On-Site Job-Skill Training

Models R' Us-Modeling Workshop/Training for youth ages 10-18 interested in Runway Modeling, Fashion Design, and Photography.

Free ESL Classes Curso Gratis de ESL

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:27:00 GMT

Youth Workshop at Bayview Beacon

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 13:13:00 GMT

To creat "Healthy Habits" that will last you a life time:

o Academically

o Physically

o Healthy eating

Also, come and discuss the benefits of "Quiet Time"

When: Thursday, October 14, 2010

Time: 4:00pm-6:00pm

Where: Burton H.S. Teen Center

Free food!!

Raffle Prizes!!

Download flyer

For more information, please contact Nicole Avist, Prevention Services Coordinator, at 415.469.4550 ext. 13273

Choize Teen Center English Spanish

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:38:00 GMT

"CHOIZES" TEEN CENTER

Empezando el 1ro. de Septiembre

Para mas informacion, contactar Jasmine Benton (Teen Services Director) al telefono: (415)822-7728 o email jbenton@ymcasf.org

Acting Workshop with Danny Glover

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:52:00 GMT

For more information, contact Jasmine Benton (Teen Services Director) at: (415)822-7728 or email jbenton@ymcasf.org

Sea bienvenido en venir a participar en nuestro taller GRATIS con:

Danny Glover

Para mas informacion, contactar Jasmine Benton (Teen Services Director) at: (415)822-7728 o email jbenton@ymcasf.org

1st Annual Cepeda Baseball YMCA Junior Giants Fundraiser Dinner

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:54:00 GMT

1st Annual Cepeda Baseball & YMCA

Junior Giants Fundraiser Dinner

Saturday, July 31^st

Time: 6:00 – 9:00 pm

Location: Bayview/Hunters Point YMCA

1601 Lane Street – SF, 94124

**All proceeds will benefit YMCA**

Event Details:

Special Guests: Hall Of Famer Orlando Cepeda & Cy Young Award Winner Vida Blue

Cepeda Baseball will be hosting a camp to help at risk kids follow their dreams. Cepeda Baseball Staff will conduct a 3 day summer camp, and will also host a dinner at the YMCA in Bayview/Hunters Point Saturday, July 31st. This casual dinner will help the YMCA raise funds for future year around baseball programs. Sports is a very important part in a child’s upbringing, and we believe that this could actually help certain kids (boys and girls) realize their true dreams, and hopefully become a SF Giant one day!

Please come out and join us, and support this great cause! If you cannot attend but would like to provide a donation, please contact us for details. We greatly appreciate any assistance that can be provided!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL:

Ali Cepeda (415) 640-5109 cell

Thank you for all your support ...

Cepeda Baseball Camp

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:52:00 GMT

WHEN: July 29 – July 31, 2010

TIME: 9:00a – 3:00p

WHERE: Silver Terrace Park (1700 Silver Avenue) –

San Francisco , CA

AGES: 9 – 16 yrs.

PRICE: FREE OF CHARGE!!!

** We will also be having a raffle at the end of the camp, which includes MLB autographed memorabilia! (Each camper receives 1 ticket)

Register on-line today! This camp will be a great camp and spots will fill up fast. LEARN FROM PRO INSTRUCTORS THAT HAVE PLAYED AND CURRENTLY TEACH IT TODAY! Email us and ask about our player/buddy discount

CAMP INSTRUCTORS:

ALI CEPEDA ~ Ex- SF Giant Organization & Owner/Pro Baseball Instructor

MIKE FELDER ~ Ex- SF Giant & Pro Baseball Instructor

PAIGE DUMONT ~ Ex – Philadelphia Philly & Pro Baseball Instructor

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ ~ Elite High School Coach & Pro Baseball Instructor

ANTOINE WATTS ~ Elite High School Coach & Pro Baseball Instructor

TO REGISTER FOR THIS CAMP, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEB SITE!!!

For questions and/or concerns, please contact cepedabaseball@yahoo.com or (415) 640-5109

Our Baseball Camp was such a success

THANK YOU!

Bayview native uses own experiences to remove barriers for area youth

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:50:00 GMT

Fromer, the executive director of the Bayview-Hunters Point YMCA who also was once an underprivileged youth growing up in one of San Francisco’s toughest neighborhoods, was recently recognized with the Jefferson Award for Public Service, a Bay Area award for outstanding contributions to the community. Fromer has more than 35 years of experience working with children and adolescents in different local organizations.

“It made me feel good to be honored for what we do here at the YMCA,” said Fromer, who started working with the organization as a truancy case manager 10 years ago. “Here, we empower people to advocate for themselves and build community.”

She added that her passion and motivation for public service come not only from the fact that she is a native of the Bayview – where the median income is $21,000 and soup kitchens and foster care are public services most in demand – but also because she wants to break the common perception San Francisco residents have towards that part of the city.

“I’m very connected to the Bayview and committed to the betterment of this community,” said Fromer whose family called the Bayview home for more than 45 years. “We hear so much negativity, but there’s actually a lot of history here.”

Stephanie Hughes, co-founder and CEO of Faith Ministry’s Lazarus House – a Bayview-based housing project focused on intervention for emancipated youth – said she is thankful for Fromer’s support for their organization’s growth and activities.

“She’s always assisting us, providing training and getting our youth outdoors,” Hughes said. “The community I work with is very difficult, but she’s created ways to remove barriers.”

Fromer’s focus on helping the youth of the neighborhood stems from her personal background; she was born and raised in the very building the YMCA has inhabited since 2002. She attended a Catholic school where she was one of only eight African-American students.

Fromer attributes much of her social and academic success to the support she received from the Young Community Developers, or YCD – an organization that counseled and supported the local youth. Fromer got her first summer job at the age of 14, which enabled her to help support her family.

“Having an organization that young people can connect with is critical,” she said.

Fromer returned to YCD to work as a counselor at age 21 and attended San Francisco State University, where she majored in English. However, she was forced to drop out her senior year, after having her third son and struggling to balance work and school. A few years later, she married and moved to Marin County.

With the support of her husband Reed, she finally earned her Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Dominican University in 2003.
“I really understand the importance of education,” Fromer said. “I wanted to be a role model to the young people I meet on a daily basis … and I also wanted to do that for myself.”

Reed Fromer attests to his wife’s ability to juggle her responsibilities with her studies, work and family.

“She manages well; she’s got this superwoman quality about her,” he said. “She’s accomplishing something every moment of the day.”
Reed Fromer added he believes that much of her success comes from her ability to “communicate with anybody.”

Communication was something Fromer learned on the job. After working with the nonprofit Headstart for six years and a brief stint as an insurance biller, she found her way to the YMCA, starting out as a truancy case manager, focusing on tutoring and counseling troubled youth.
“It was a little bit of everything I’d done in my career,” she said. “And all the programs were very socially innovative.”

During her time at the YMCA, Fromer has found and addressed three major issues with the youth of the neighborhood: literacy, obesity and truancy.
After finding out that the Bayview has the highest truancy rate in the city, she spearheaded the Center for Academic Reentry and Empowerment – an academic recovery program that helps children and youth realize the value of education and ensured that truants would be able to go back to school, improve academically and eventually graduate.

Fromer encouraged case managers to accompany the students back to school to assure their attendance in class and also partnered with different local schools and the city itself. The program has expanded to more than 30 students a year, 10-12 of whom are now graduating.

“My dream is for the [program] to become the one-stop shop for kids who need more credits to finish school,” she added.

Fromer also has worked to procure more grants for the YMCA from the city, to partner with other local organizations and to improve the facility by adding child and teen development centers.

One of Fromer’s most rewarding experiences came recently when “Nancy,” a former truant whose case Fromer had handled, returned to the YMCA after several years to volunteer.

Fromer said that Nancy (whose real name Fromer withheld to protect her identity) was involved in gangs and came from a troubled, immigrant home.
“She went off back to school, but I heard she later dropped out,” Fromer recalled.

Then one day, Nancy came into the Bayview YMCA asking to see the director so that she could sign up as a tutor. Fromer immediately recognized her and approached the young lady.

“Nancy told me, ‘If it weren’t for you, I’d probably be dead,’” Fromer said.

The director added that stories like Nancy’s are what inspire her to continue her work in the community.

“I don’t have any bad stories, just wonderful experiences,” Fromer said. “We don’t save every child because there are so many variables in each child’s life. But we are still in the business of saving lives and helping people on a daily basis.”

Sun, 30 May 2010 15:12:00

By Pauline Guiuan

see the original article here

A Visit from Danny Glover

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:00:00 GMT

All those in attendance were enriched with some invaluable knowledge and life skills that can be utilized throughout life. In the words of Mr. Glover, “…[you teens] are all citizens – and as citizens, it us up to you to determine what is going to happen in the future.” Aside from the youth and teen programs here at the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA (Just 4 Girls, The Fellas Club, “Choizes” Teen Center), other organizations involved included the Bayview Beacon, Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA, 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic, and the Bayview Hunters Point Foundation. We want to send a big THANK YOU to all those who attended, as well as South East Community Response Network (SECRN). We greatly appreciate your presence.

As program staff and providers, it is up to us to maintain and exemplify positive behavior because we are the ones our youth look up to the most. As we continue to support our young participants and supply them with the basic necessities that facilitate their growth into healthy young adults, it is also important to show them that there are successful and inspiring people within their home environment, role models who once walked in their footsteps.

Once again, I thank all those who attended – and be on the lookout for our next “Road to Stardom” Presentation!

To the future,

Jasmine L. Benton

Teen Services Director

Volunteer of the Year Celebration 2010

Mon, 10 May 2010 18:00:00 GMT

This celebrated honor is a way to thank our volunteers for sharing their time, energy and superlative talents with the YMCA and the people we serve.

The YMCA of San Francisco’s 2010 Volunteer of the Year Celebration will be held on Friday, June 4, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.

Several hundred people will come together at this event to honor outstanding volunteers from each of our YMCA branches through a buffet reception, awards ceremony, performances by YMCA youth and a dessert after-party.

To say that the YMCA of San Francisco is a volunteer-driven organization is no understatement. We are incredibly fortunate to have over 2,500 volunteers who help us serve over 190,000 people annually. Each day, lives are enhanced and changed by the YMCA through their vital contributions!

Attend the 2010 Volunteer of the Year Celebration!

If you would like to join us for this honorary event, please contact Vanessa Baker at vbaker@ymcasf.org for ticket information.

Sponsorship Opportunities

If you or your company would be interested in sponsoring the event, click here or contact Vanessa Baker at vbaker@ymcasf.org for more information.

You can also make a donation in honor of a volunteer by visiting our online giving page:

Select "YMCA of San Francisco" as the Branch Designation.
Enter "VOY" in the Specify Program field.

Scroll down to view our 2010 Adult & Youth Volunteers of the Year!

Barclays Flag Football League

Mon, 10 May 2010 13:02:00 GMT

San Francisco, CA– Barclays Spaces for Sports youth flag football league is an exciting new component of the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA’s Sports and Recreation Program geared toward involving local youth in positive, character-building activities during after-school hours.

This program is a key part of the YMCA’s larger effort to guide our program participants toward healthy and productive lifestyles, including improved academic performance and planning for successful futures. A $50,000 grant from Barclays Spaces for Sports has given us the opportunity to offer our youth the exciting experience of flag football.

“Through the generous donation from Barclays Spaces for Sports, youth in the neighborhood have an opportunity to build positive, healthy relationships that will help them develop key skills on and off the field” remarks Gina Fromer, Executive Director, Bayview Hunters Point YMCA. “In addition, the grant has enabled us to hire an Academic and Sports Coordinator to act as a conduit between teachers, administrators, and after-school staff, providing the support network needed to improve students’ academic performance.”

Six teams have been organized for the league’s inaugural season: Bayview Hunters Point YMCA; Philip Burton High School; Ida B. Wells High School; June Jordan High School; Rolph Park; and the OMIE Beacon (Oceanside, Mission, Ingleside and Excelsior). All games will be played at Philip Burton High School on Wednesday afternoons starting April 21^st.

“Youth sports is a key component of youth and community development, engaging young people at an early age to become active healthy contributors to our community. Through the Barclays Spaces for Sports program, youth in the Bayview neighborhood are becoming active and engaged at a transformative age, gaining the necessary leadership and life skills to overcome future challenges they might face,” Chuck Collins, President and CEO, YMCA of San Francisco.

Barclays Spaces for Sports
Barclays Spaces for Sports is a community sports program using sport to revitalize disadvantaged communities in countries around the world where Barclays operates. Launched in the UK in 2004, it has delivered 200 sustainable sports sites, giving more than half a million people in disadvantaged communities the opportunity to benefit. Following its success in the UK, the program was extended globally in 2008, bringing the total investment by Barclays to more than £37m. Sites and projects are already established in the USA, South Africa, China, Spain, and Zambia. To find out more, visit www.barclays.com/community/spacesforsports

Bayview Hunters Point YMCA
The Bayview Hunters Point YMCA exists as a cornerstone of the community by providing a safe, state of the art facility, inclusive programs

3rd Grade Boys Win CYO Championship

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:37:00 GMT

Way to go team!

Gina Fromer wins Jefferson Award for Public Service

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:00:00 GMT

The Jefferson Award is a Bay Area regional award sponsored by the national Jefferson Awards organization with media partners KCBS radio. This is a tremendous award for Gina and is not surprising. Gina’s work to improve the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood is tireless and we applaud her commitment to the YMCA and the community.

“Jefferson Awards recipients are ordinary people who do extraordinary things without expectation of recognition or reward. By honoring the recipients, it is the goal of the Jefferson Awards to inspire others to become involved in community and public service.”

KPIX, media partners with KCBS radio, profiles all the local winners.

To view the clip that aired on CBS5, please click here.

To listen to the KCBS radio recording, please click here.

For more information about the Jefferson Awards, visit www.jeffersonawards.org/

Barclays Spaces for Sports awards 50000 to Bayview Hunters Point YMCA

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:47:00 GMT

San Francisco, CA, February 8, 2010 -- Youth in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood are to benefit from an expanded sports and recreation program, designed to boost their academic performance and future prospects.

Thanks to a $50,000 grant from Barclays Spaces for Sports, the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA will now benefit from academic support as part of the new Barclays Spaces for Sports Flag Football Program.

Through the flag football league, youth in the neighborhood will build positive, healthy relationships that will help them develop key skills on and off the field. The YMCA will be able to hire an Academic and Sports Coordinator to bridge the gap between after-school staff and school teachers and administrators, providing the support needed to improve academic performance.

The funding will also enable the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA to accurately measure the impact of pairing a regular sports activity with individualized academic assistance.

“Hundreds of youth will benefit from this generous gift from Barclays Spaces for Sports. Incorporating academic support into our YMCA youth sports programs will enhance the nature of our programs and help our young people build a better future and receive the support they deserve,” said Chuck Collins, President and CEO, YMCA of San Francisco.

A harsh reality is that in Bayview Hunters Point homicide is the leading cause of death for young people. These negative influences, when coupled with the anxiety they may feel from their parents, can create unhealthy and challenging living environments for young people.

Barclays Spaces for Sports is a community sports programme which aims to revitalize disadvantaged communities and tackle key social issues. As well as 200 sites in the UK, there are sites and projects in other parts of the world where Barclays operates, including South Africa, Spain and Zambia. A site was also opened in 2008 at East Side Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware, for the benefit of the wider community as well as pupils.

Hannah Willis, Associate Director, Global Community Investment at Barclays said: "We're delighted to be announcing a further project in the United States as part of the global Barclays Spaces for Sports programme. We know from the 200 sites created in the UK and other sites and projects developed as part of the global programme, that sport is a powerful tool to engage young people so that they can then develop their academic and life skills."

A number of young people will benefit from academic support (including tutoring and counselling) and will be connected to after-school academic programs available at the YMCA.

The funding will also allow for expanded outreach and recruitment opportunities with a focus for girls to become more actively involved in the benefits of team sports. Such benefits include team-building, listening, smart decision-making and developing peer leadership skills to build confidence and develop transferable life skills.

For more information contact:
David Smith, Barclays: +44 (0)207 116 6142 / +44 (0)7775 543294

About the YMCA of San Francisco

For more than 150 years, the YMCA of San Francisco has provided comprehensive programs and services to meet the diverse needs of the Bay Area. Through its 14 locations from Marin to the Santa Cruz Mountains, the YMCA’s programs span the generations to build individuals with healthy spirits, minds and bodies. From swim classes and health programs to senior activities and job readiness training, the YMCA of San Francisco provides the resources that each neighborhood needs in a local community center.

About Barclays Spaces for Sports

• Barclays Spaces for Sports is a community sports programme using sport to revitalise disadvantaged communities in countries around the world where Barclays operates.

• It was launched in the UK in 2004 and has delivered 200 sustainable sports sites, giving more than half a million people in disadvantaged communities the opportunity to benefit.

• Following its success in the UK the programme was extended globally in 2008, bringing the total investment by Barclays to more than £37m. Additional investment of more than £30m from our partners the Football Foundation brings the overall total to more than £67m.

• Sites and projects are already established in South Africa, the United States, Spain and Zambia.

• Barclays Spaces for Sports is part of Barclays global community programme which invested more than £50m across more than 30 countries in 2008.

• To find out more visit www.barclays.com/community/spacesforsports

Bayview YMCA Gets 238K Federal Grant To Fight Truancy

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:30:00 GMT

The grant will go to the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA Center for Academic Re-entry and Empowerment, which provides education and counseling for truant students to help them earn a high school diploma.

District Attorney Kamala Harris has made fighting truancy a focus of her administration, arguing it can lead to criminal behavior and ultimately high costs to the community and taxpayers.

"Fighting truancy is vital to public safety," Harris said in a statement. "When children are not in school, they end up learning the dangerous lessons of the streets at great expense to themselves and others."

The money will fund an additional case manager and a new classroom, the district attorney's office said. The program serves between 80 and 100 students each year, and will now be able to add another 30 students.

See the original article here: http://sfappeal.com/alley/2010/01/bayview-ymca-gets-238k-federal-grant-to-fight-truancy.php

San Francisco school truancy program gets grant

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:00:00 GMT

The news was some relief for a school system facing a $113 million budget shortfall over two years and the elimination of programs aimed at helping struggling students.

The federal two-year, $238,000 grant might sound like a drop in the bucket by comparison, but it will give 30 more chronically truant high school students at a time the chance to catch up in academic credits through the Center of Academic Re-entry and Empowerment housed in the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA. Enrollment is currently limited to about 23 students.

The 2-year-old program has served 124 formerly truant teens - some of whom hadn't seen the inside of a school for more than a year. So far, 68 percent have finished the nine-week program and re-enrolled in a city high school. Six students have graduated.

The U.S. Department of Children, Youth and Families pays the $250,000 annual costs.

Michaela Howard, 16, missed the first semester of her freshman year in high school. Worried about her safety, her mother had tried to enroll her in a homeschool program, but before she knew it, Michaela was a truant.

Within nine weeks at the Bayview center, Michaela had made up some credits and transferred to Independent High School, where she is on the honor roll. "I felt they gave me a chance," she said of the truancy program.

The new funding will pay for an additional teacher affiliated with Five Keys Charter School, an alternative public school that also works with jailed youth.

The Bayview program will continue to help students overcome what led them to skip school - things like fear for their safety, lack of transportation and family problems - said District Attorney Kamala Harris, who helped secure the funding with Sen. Dianne Feinstein's help.

"Let's not throw up our hands," Harris said, referring to budget cuts. "Let's roll up our sleeves."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/28/BAD91BOHVP.DTL&feed=rss.education#ixzz0ehGR5vD7

ESPN awards Bayview YMCA for community service

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:20:00 GMT

ESPN's Monday Night Football roadshow travels across the county visity cities around the nation. Every year, it chooses a special organization for it's commitment and work in the community. The Bayview Hunters Point YMCA was chosen in 2009 as the recipient for the Community Service Award!