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2011 has been another good year of accomplishments for us at BMCYF: we strengthened our ties to the MiWuk community with the Keepers of The Land Dedication and Celebration Ceremony held in May at our center to unveil a monument erected in memory of the sufferings of the MiWuk people during the Gold Rush era , we had a very successful harvest in our thriving community garden thanks to the efforts of Revive and Releaf, and we are busy working on our latest big project, KQBM 90.7 FM, our very own community radio station!!! And of course, we continue to offer a wide variety of free services and activities to our kids and families, including twice weekly family style dinners where we feed an average of 200 people a month!!

We could not do this without your donations and support that are essential for a small organization like ours. Several generous donors have offered  us a challenge : they have pledged up to $10 000 if we can match that !!! So, will you please help us match that amount ? It will enable us to continue serving our youth and community in these difficult times… Here are some examples of what your donations can provide:  $ 50 buys one community dinner for 30 people, $100 sends one kid to our  four day summer camp, $200 pays for two art workshops for our kids, $4,000 pays for insurance we MUST have to be open.

Give our kids better opportunities, invest in your community , your donation makes all the difference! Click here to donate securely online, or mail us a check if you prefer. You can check the progress of the match right here, we have till May 1^st to come up with a match, please give generously….

Thank you so much.

Catherine Lambie

BMCYF Director.

Filed under: Uncategorized on December 30th, 2011 | No Comments »

In July 2011 Blue Mountain Coalition for Youth & Families, in cooperation with the Calaveras County Office of Education, Valley Springs Youth, and San Andreas Teen Center, took 12 youth on a three-day trip to Santa Cruz.

The youth in our group ranged from age 10 to age 18, with 7 girls and 5 boys.  All of these youth had been participating in leadership programs at our center, BMCYF, or the other two youth centers, SATC & VSY.  Participants earned a place on the trip by completing a leadership project, either service learning or peer education, attending a health education presentation, completing a goal-setting activity, and participating in fundraising activities.  We raised enough money to cover all participants, so there was no cost to the families for youth to attend.

We camped in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton, Ca.  Youth participants took responsibility for camp chores, such as getting water, setting up meals, starting the campfire, and cleaning up the sites.  We spent evenings around the campfire, playing games, telling stories, and drinking hot chocolate.

We visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium- a big hit with youth and adults alike.  We learned about jellyfish, sea horses, sea otters, kelp, played with interactive learning tools, touched rays, and watched a documentary about white sharks.

We toured University of California Santa Cruz, a beautiful campus stretching over rolling hills and giant redwoods.  We visited the large university library, peeked into a dorm, and many of the youth started making plans to apply to UCSC in a few years.

And of course, we went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.  For some of the group, this was their first time on a roller coaster, and for others, it was a dose of thrill that is not available in the foothills.

However, the most popular activity on our trip was beach volleyball.  We played one game at Harbor Beach the first night, and everyone was hooked.  We were there every afternoon until dark and the last morning on our way home.  In fact, the youth even unanimously asked to leave the Boardwalk early to play volleyball.

In surveys, many participants said that on this trip they tried something for the first time and learned something new about themselves.  One 14-year-old girl said that she learned that she can get along with new people even away from her friends, and that she learned to get along with others, “and mean it.”  Another 15 year-old girl said that she learned she is willing to try almost anything.  Fifty percent of youth surveyed said their favorite part of the trip was meeting new friends.

This kind of trip is a very important part of the work we do at Blue Mountain Coalition for Youth and Families.  Taking trips outside of our small town exposes youth to new people, places, and challenges.  It is this kind of experience that empowers young people to dream big for themselves and their future.

Everyone had a great time and we are already making plans for next year’s trip.  Suggestions have included Yosemite and Tahoe, “anywhere near the water and with a volleyball court!”

Thank you for your support.

Filed under: Uncategorized on September 19th, 2011 | No Comments »

On September 11th, 2001, co-directors Mark Dyken and Catherine Lambie prepared and served the first community meal at the BMCYF center.  The date had been picked long before the tragic events in New York that most of us now remember that day by.  We decided to go ahead with the meal, and getting together to share food as a community seemed to ease the sorrow and anguish of the day.

Since that day, we have served hundreds of free, delicious community dinners ( two a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays) to our kids, their families, neighbors, friends, and guests.  We went from primitive cooking conditions to a new cozy kitchen.  We have a large dining room table in a bright, comfortable space built by community members.  We ban sodas, we cook with organic ingredients, a lot of them harvested directly from a thriving community garden on our property.  Bringing kids and their families together around the dinner table to enjoy a balanced meal prepared with care is central to the BMCYF approach of modeling healthy habits and building strong community ties.  We have had many a lively conversation around the table, and are often entertained by local musicians.

Several talented cooks have run our kitchen over the years, each bringing their own favorite recipes: after Catherine and Mark, who cooked for five years, Gloria Rousseau took over the kitchen and delighted us with many fabulous meals.  Gloria also single-handedly prepared many community feasts for several of our events.  Her moving out of the area left us distraught for a minute- until we got Laurel Lickteig to do the job.  Laurel has proven to be a creative and capable cook that is fazed by nothing.  She can also do the Macarena with gusto while the food is cooking- much to the pleasure of our kids!  The funding for these meals comes from private foundations as well as the generous donations of community members and BMCYF supporters at large.

Please come and help us celebrate 10 years of community meals!  On Saturday September 10th, we will also give out our fifth annual Teamagic Award to honor one of our community champions.  The award was created to recognize Ted Toren, who led us through the construction of the addition to our center, generously donating his time and expertise, never losing his patience with us, and entertaining us with the coining of wordsas the weeks went by- one of these words was Teamagic.  Ted remains an

inspiration for all of us at BMCYF, and we are grateful for his steady and invaluable support.

This year’s recipient of the Teamagic Award is Kaaren Maines.  When Kaaren’s children were frequenting the BMCYF center she was always a supportive and attentive parent, bringing by donations and checking in.  A few years later, Kaaren started attending some of our mask-making workshops with Sharon Strong, creating beautiful masks, enjoying the process of making art with a group, and getting really interested in the BMCYF mission.  In Kaaren’s fashion, she has always donated what she could, made many friends, and volunteered several times to be a helper at workshops for both kids and adults.  Her no-nonsense presence, her sense of humor, her storytelling talents and her huge heart soon made her a favorite at BMCYF.  She decided to involve herself further by becoming an ECHO member (Ex Convicts Having Opportunities, a support group for families of prisoners), faithfully attending the meetings and becoming an important and respected voice of the group.  Her generosity, her wisdom and her humility are remarkable and an inspiration.  This year, she began leading a weekly women’s group at our center, a gathering “for women, by women” of all ages who share their experiences.  We are proud and honored to count her as part of our BMCYF team and community.  We hope that you can join us in saying a big THANK YOU to her.

Celebration of 10 years of Community Meals at BMCYF and Teamagic Award

Saturday September 10th at BMCYF on Main Street

We will serve dinner at 5pm; desserts and award presentation at 6pm.  Music by Clan Dyken to follow.   This is a free event- please bring a friend.

Remember this is a tobacco and alcohol free event.  For more info please call 293 4500.

Filed under: Uncategorized on August 29th, 2011 | No Comments »

Garden, garden, garden, is that all we do around here?  Well, no but the fruits of our labors are too fine to ignore.  The names that must lead the way are Maryanne and Marilyn plus a cohort of loyal R&R workers in addition to those of us at the youth center who also manage the pleasure

of working, browsing and harvesting the community garden.  If you come to a Tuesday or Thursday dinner much of it will be fresh from the beds, organic and oh such a treat!

Filed under: Uncategorized on July 29th, 2011 | No Comments »

BMCYF Youth are raising money for our Summer Camp-Out in Santa Cruz!  Youth participants are organizing a car wash on Wednesday July 6th from 2 to 5pm at the Main Street Center.  Please come support us & get your car cleaned for summer.

If you would like to sponsor a child’s trip personally, please call 293 4500. The cost will be $70/child. We will be camping in the redwoods, touring UC Santa Cruz, visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium, playing on the beach, and going to the Boardwalk.

Filed under: Uncategorized on June 30th, 2011 | No Comments »