The 2007 Fostering a Safe and Caring Holiday Season officially ended on Sunday 12.23.07 with the Black & White Ball at the African American Arts & Culture Complex. This marked the sixth year of our Fostering Holiday Seasons. We are starting to reap the benefit of the fostering a safe and caring community seed we planted six years ago.
Here are some of the highlights of the 2007 season:
Halloween was a success due all the positive options offered to our youth. What a wide variety of choices to choose from: a poster contest, haunted houses, pumpkin carving, story telling and eating smores under the stars. This continues our mission to bring community together to create a positive atmosphere for youth that result in breaking down turf issues.
Thanksgiving was held at John Muir Elementary for the first time and continues the CPU’s commitment to building a stronger partnership between the school and immediate community.
November 29th Mo’Magic turned one and what a year it has been. Mo’ Magic’s birth was at an excellent time. Sheryl, through the diverse community activities she held for youth over the last year, has germinated a new sense of hope and optimism amongst Western Addition youth.
Hayes Valley Holiday Block Party was a great way for community and commerce to come together and celebrate while building a sustainable community. We also got to initiate our new sound system we purchased with funding from both the SF Parks Trust Innovator Awards fund and donations from Bob Barnwell and Mo’Magic.
The Card Making/ Wreath Making event was a hit. We made over 200 cards to be given to community members with each food box. The children made wreaths for their families and also enough for the eight housing sites we deliver food to.
Wreath Making Results
Photo: Barbara Wenger
Food giveaway provided 225 food boxes to nine sites in the Western Addition. An extra plus this year was Josh’s kids from the Playground helping to stuff the food bags that were given away. Hats off to Northern Police Station for six years of positive community policing by helping distribute over 1,300 food boxes in the Western Addition.
Toy giveaway this year marked the first year of youth doing volunteer work in exchange for a community gift. We witnessed the youth working at a Koshland Park Cleanup, HV Block Party set up as well as the kids lending a hand to carry groceries, stuff bags and load a police vehicle for distribution.