Community Involvement & Advocacy
Our federal program dollars can only go so far in giving us enough resources to meet the many and varied needs of the children and families in our programs. Many of our families live at or below the poverty line and struggle to meet basic necessities. The saying is true, it takes a village.
Advocacy, a Call for Public Support
By asking people to be involved in meeting a basic need for a struggling family or child, you are speaking on and bringing attention to the issues faced by our community. Advocacy efforts can be focused with either year round needs or seasonal support and is only limited by your imagination.
Who can be involved?
Your friends
Your church
Your workplace
Your social club
Your community organization
Your social media network
Child & Family Needs
- Clothing: Many times children entering the foster care system or exiting probation have little more than the clothing on their back. Host a drive or donate gently worn or new child to teen age appropriate clothing.
- Age Appropriate Toys & Games: Toys and games serve as age appropriate motivational tools to help children and adolescents meet their therapeutic goals.
- Holiday, Celebration & Milestone: Help give our children and families a sense of normalcy. This may include food and gift drives or holiday event sponsorship.
- Educational & Vocational: Help families with basic needs at the beginning of the school year, such as: school uniforms, backpacks, and school supplies. Or sponsor a scholarship or vocational training for our youth making the transition into young adulthood.
- Amusement & Recreational: For fun and to build family and peer rapport. This may include tickets to museums, animal parks, movie and theatrical showings, mini-golf, amusement and water parks, and sporting events.
- Hygiene: Bathroom kits to support maintaining healthy practices in hygiene and self-care.
- Nutrition & Wellness: Basic cooking kits and recipe books to encourage healthy eating practices in the home.
- Transportation: Lack of transportation causes disruption in a youth’s ability to gain access to school, employment, or services. Bus passes, bicycles, or access to driver’s education are essential tools to giving adolescents and young adults freedom of movement.
- Mentorship & Volunteerism: It is through volunteer mentorship that kids are able to build healthy relationships with caring and committed adults in their community. Through these community based relationships, youth are able to build on social skills and career planning. If you yourself cannot mentor, consider sponsoring this vital service. For more information on volunteer opportunities, click here.
- Parent Resources: Replenish and furnish supplies, including books or other resources for our parents and caregivers.
- Keeping the lights on! General operating and administrative support provides the scaffolding and structure of which all programming services rely on. very little of our dollars are allocated to administrative or non-direct program support, which leaves little flexibility when implementing new programming. With general funding and operational support, you not only help us strengthen current services, you help us look towards the future in expanding our reach.
Get Started
For more information on resource quests, please contact Info@BayfrontYFS.org.
Already ready, already? Run your own grassroots community resource campaign right now through our community partner, FirstGiving.