Keystone members and volunteers at Camp Mendocino.

Members from our Keystone leadership program and our ‘Friends of BGCSF’ volunteer group had a great time at Camp Mendocino!

They participated in various team-building and environmental education activities such as low ropes, nature hikes, and community service in the garden.

Team-building activity.

One of the many redwoods at Camp Mendocino.

One particularly cool part of the weekend involved youth creating wooden posts with glass jars fixed atop of them. Each glass jar was then filled with a certain food that you can find in the community garden. For instance, near the sunflower patch is a glass jar with sunflower seeds, helping youth draw the connection between nature around them and where our food comes from. Check it out:

Building wooden boxes for an environmental education project.

Final wooden box, which will hold a glass jar with food samples from the community garden.

Check out more photos from the weekend below, or on Flickr.

Want to have just as much fun as our Keystone members did this summer? Sign up for Camp Mendocino today!

The post Keystone members and ‘Friends’ group at Camp Mendocino! appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

On Thursday, May 9th, BGCSF President Rob Connolly joined Gap Inc. CEO Glenn Murphy and Gap Foundation President Bobbi Silton to speak in front of thousands of Gap Inc. employees and announce the news that our future Clubhouse in the Western Addition will be named in honor of late Gap Inc. co-founder and longtime BGCSF volunteer Don Fisher.

Rob was joined on stage by youth from the Visitacion Valley Clubhouse and by Mario Barajas, Columbia Park Youth of the Year, who delivered a moving speech that garnered a standing ovation. Glenn, Rob and Mario presented Don’s wife and Gap Inc. co-founder Doris Fisher with a rendering of the new Club. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!

For nearly half a century, Don was an active board member and volunteer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco. He and Doris helped improve the lives of and create opportunities for thousands of young people over the years. Don did not seek recognition for his work – he did it because he cared about making a difference. Now, Don’s lifelong dedication to his community will be recognized for years to come with the Don Fisher Clubhouse. It is estimated that the future Clubhouse will serve 2,000 youth a year, ages 6-18, with an average daily attendance of nearly 200. It will open in November 2014.

“The naming of this Clubhouse in Don’s honor is a tribute to his 46 years of Board service, his tremendous generosity, his love of San Francisco, and his tireless efforts on behalf of at-risk youth,” said Rob Connolly, president of BGCSF. “We are incredibly grateful to the Fishers and Gap Inc. for being our longtime champions, and we hope their faith in our organization will serve as a catalyst and inspiration for others to get involved in the project and help us realize this dream.”

To support the development of the new clubhouse, Gap Inc. is donating $1 million, comprised of employee donations, corporate matching dollars, and a Gap Foundation grant.

“Don’s passion for making the communities in which we live and work better still inspires our employees every day,” said Glenn Murphy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gap Inc. “We are proud to join the Boys & Girls Clubs to honor Don, and to support their outstanding work to make a difference in the lives of young men and women in our hometown of San Francisco.”

To learn more about the Don Fisher Clubhouse or make a donation, click here .

The post Honoring Don Fisher appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

On Friday, May 10th, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco hosted its annual Gala, sponsored by First Republic Bank and themed “Inspiring Healthy Futures” at the Westin St. Francis in Union Square. The program focused on what BGCSF does to ensure all nine Clubhouses and Camp Mendocino are the healthiest places for children and teens.

Our 2013 Gala Emcees, four year member of Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco and this year’s Youth of the Year for Camp Mendocino, Imani Payton, and Travis Holley, six-year member of the Willie Mays Boys & Girls Club at Hunters Point.

Five middle school-aged youth and teens spoke about how the Club has empowered them to make healthy decisions. For Travis, the Club opened his eyes to sports, cooking and gardening. For Imani, it was all about the outdoors and Camp Mendocino. Ileana benefited from preventative health services, like free physicals and 1:1 support with clinical therapists. For Erica, the Club exposed her to a job in the culinary industry. And for Brianna, it was the supportive relationships and steady support that got her on the right path to success. Raising over $1.2M, the event was a huge success and attracted over 500 guests.

Youth deliver a plaque to Rocky Fried (third from right) to honor his dedication and unwavering support of BGCSF.

This year, we honored former Board chair, 14-year Board member, and long-time friend of the organization, Rocky Fried. His daughter, McRae Fried delivered a beautiful speech about her dad’s involvement at BGCSF and what it meant to their family. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room!

PHOTOS & VIDEO

 Video: Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles

QUOTES & TWEETS

“These children need first world opportunities, not the third world conditions that they live in.” Rocky Fried @ bgcsf #gala

— Thomas Ahn (@Thomas_Ahn) May 11, 2013

#EVENT What a night for @ bgcsf An inspiring night & BIG money raised to secure healthy futures for SF kids. Thx to the GIVING crowd! #wow

— Liam Mayclem (@liammayclem) May 11, 2013

“Thanks to the Club, I have chosen to major in sports medicine and kinesiology” Illeana #gala #greatfutures #bgcsf twitter.com/BGCSF/status/3…

— Boys & Girls Club SF (@BGCSF) May 11, 2013

Thank you sponsors and supporters!

On behalf of the Board of Governors and the Club’s staff, we would like to thank the following people and sponsors for making our Gala such a special night:

And last but not least, thank you Liam Mayclem of CBS San Francisco (pictured below) for auctioneering and helping us raise a critical amount of funds for the organization.

Our fearless auctioneer, Liam Mayclem.

The post 2013 Gala Wrap-Up: Inspiring Healthy Futures…For Generations To Come! appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

The late Gap co-founder, Don Fisher.

This article was published in the San Francisco Business Times on May 8, 2013

The Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco is getting a brand new Clubhouse, thanks in part to the generosity of local retailer Gap Inc.

The Don Fisher Clubhouse, named in honor of the late Gap co-founder who was the organization’s longtime board member, will serve up to 2,000 youth a year with an average daily attendance of nearly 200 kids ages six through 18.

The new 30,000-square-foot clubhouse will go up on Fulton Street in the Western Addition and replace the organization’s outdated Ernest Ingold Club on Page Street in the Upper Haight, which was built in 1952.

Read the entire story on San Francisco Business Times >>

The post SF Business Times: Gap helps Boys & Girls Club build new headquarters appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

The Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco is building a new clubhouse in the Western Addition, a 30,000-square-foot center with a swimming pool and art studio.

The new clubhouse, publicly announced Tuesday, will be named after Gap founder Don Fisher, who supported the youth organization for more than 40 years, said Rob Connolly, president of the San Francisco Boys and Girls Club chapter.

Gap — through employee donations and matching corporate grants — will kick in the first $1 million. The nonprofit will still need to raise another $8 million.

“We need to use this as an opportunity to have others follow Don and (his wife) Doris’ legacy of being very very generous in the city,” Connolly said. “It is expensive to do anything in this city.”

The new Western Addition clubhouse at 380 Fulton St., will replace the Ernest Ingold Club in the Upper Haight District.

The city has changed since the Ingold clubhouse was built. Moving it closer to the children it serves will give them a safe haven in a neighborhood with a high concentration of poverty, gangs and violence, Boys and Girls Club officials said.

Fisher, who died in 2009, would have liked that the new club will have a pool and would have been embarrassed and thrilled to have it named after him, said his son, John Fisher.

“I think my dad had a fundamntal belief that if you didn’t provide activities for young kids especially young kids from underserved communities, if you didn’t provide them with opportunities … that you were going to have real problems,” Fisher said. “The Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco was something that was incredibly important to my father for most of his adult life.”

Read the entire story on SFGate.com >>

The post SFGate: Boys & Girls Club gets new clubhouse with a pool appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

A 10-pound cabbage from our Edible Schoolyard garden!

Youth enrolled in our Edible Schoolyard Project at Willie Mays Clubhouse in Hunters Point prepared a variety of fresh greens and salads for the whole Club to share this month!

Youth harvested, prepared and served green salad, cabbage-carrot salad, sautéed collard greens, and mixed greens with garlic (mustard greens, mizuna, kale, and tatsoi).

And, then: enthusiastically gobbled up these healthy treats during snack time.

6 year-old Rayanna enjoying a lovely kale salad that she made from the Edible Schoolyard garden.

The sautéed mixed greens were especially a big hit, with members coming back for seconds and thirds. We were also pleased to share this dish with a few visiting members of the Boys & Girls Club of the Penninsula.

Giselle loves to pull up carrots.

Cooking class attendees also sampled freshly dug carrots, kale, broccoli, and green onions from our garden in a variety of dishes.

Masherrod perfecting his knife skills.

Our middle school and teen members were also thrilled to be able to prepare a meal of Chinese stirfried garden vegetables with beef. A few of them asked for more vegetables, leaving the beef behind.

During Spring Break we also spent time caring for our worm bin and getting the garden ready for the spring plantings. The entire club was also able to make pizzas topped with scallions though not in our outdoor oven. The outdoor oven will be employed in our next pizza making day later in the month.

The post Yum! Edible Schoolyard Project Is Cookin’ appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

Our Citywide Torch Club at Camp Mendocino

Last weekend, we hosted a group of 45 Torch Club members for a mini camp at Camp Mendocino.

Torch Club is a Boys & Girls Clubs of America program that fosters the character development and leadership skills of 11 to 13 year olds by helping youth develop and implement their own volunteer and community service activities.

Our youth had a fantastic time, and you could see how proud they were to be up at Camp representing their Clubhouse and communities back home.

Sunnydale Clubhouse members having some fun at the daily flagpole gathering.

Highlights for the weekend included team-building activities, community service projects like fire proofing the center of Camp and getting cabins ready for our summer sessions, and taking several hikes around the 2,000 acre Camp to learn about the environment and local ecosystems.

Environmental education and nature hike.

Mini Camps are designed to emphasize environmental education, community, fun, and resemble the summer Camp experience. The Torch Club members did cheers, and had their very own talent show. Oh, and did we forget to mention the making and consuming of many, many S’MORES! ☺

More Photos

View all the photos from Mini-camp below, or on our Flickr page .

Closing Note

Let’s be honest. A lot of teens may think camping isn’t that ‘cool’. But it’s amazing to see the transformation that happens within even just a weekend at Camp.

Time and time again, you see children and teens return from Camp with improved self-confidence, a new appreciation for nature, better social skills, and having grown as individuals. Youth have an amazing capacity to learn and flourish, especially when they are in a new and supportive environment. For years, Camp Mendocino has changed lives and assisted youth in tapping into their potential.

If you’re a teen or parent, check out our summer schedule for Camp Mendocino and sign up today!

The post Torch Club At Camp Mendocino appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

Teens with former US National player, Marcelo Balboa (back row, third from right).

What a great past couple days for our Club kids!

Teens from our Columbia Park and Willie Mays Clubhouses, as well as members from Project Vega , got to meet former US National Team player, Marcelo Balboa, and Univision sportscaster, Fernando Fiore.

Balboa then put on a skills clinic for our teens and taught them some basic dribbling and passing skills.

To top things off, last night they attended the Mexico vs. Peru soccer game at Candlestick Park, and our Club kids got to be ball boys and girls.

Clubs kids at the Mexico vs. Peru soccer match.

Our teens had a blast, and learned some important life lessons as well.

‘Education got me further than soccer’

A representative from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund reviews the lifetime earnings compared to education level.

Marcelo Balboa played in four World Cups and traveled the world because of his soccer skills. Still, he couldn’t have been more clear with our teens: “Education got me further than soccer ever did.” Balboa went on to emphasize the reality of how many people actually ‘go pro’, and explained the inherent limitations of earning a living from a sport.

Following Balboa’s comments, a representative from the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, presented about the importance of higher education and what teens need to be doing to make sure they’re on track for college.

Photos & Video

View photos and video below, or on Flickr .

Thank YOU, Fernando! RT @fernandofiore: @bgcsf @ussoccer @crystalaraujo @projectvega THANK YOU GUYS.I LOVE THIS project.Best wishes.

— Project Vega (@ProjectVega) April 19, 2013

Special Thanks!

We want to give a special thanks to Marcelo Balboa and Fernando Fiore for coming out and teaching our teens about the importance of education.

Thank you to our friends at Project Vega as well, and Crystal Araujo of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for her insightful presentation.

The post Soccer Lessons From A Pro appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

Barbara Mow has been an exceptional volunteer at our Ernest Ingold Clubhouse (Upper Haight) for over five years. As a tutor, she has been extremely consistent and patient with youth of all ages.  Barbara primarily works with kids that have severe learning disabilities and her approach to teaching has instilled great confidence in each member.

“Because of Ms. Barbara I can read my books faster, and I am not afraid to read out loud in class,” says  T. Jackson, an Ernest Ingold Club member.

“Barbara’s devotion to the Ernest Ingold Club is greatly appreciated. She is very dependable and we are tremendously lucky to have her as a volunteer,” – JonTonette Clark, Ernest Ingold Club staff

Thank you Barbara, your contribution makes a world of difference!

The post Volunteer of the Month, April 2013 appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.

A few brave 5th graders went on their first career exposure trip to visit a tech startup today.

Youth from Columbia Park Clubhouse got to meet cutting-edge female scientists from Hampton Creek Foods–a local tech startup that focuses on creating a plant based alternatives to eggs.

Our kids had a great time. They even met a Top Chef contestant who now works full time on food science. Here are some quotes from the day:

“I want to be a mad scientist!”

“My favorite part was watching the see through liquids change into something solid.”

“I learned if you experiment with different things you can put them together to make food taste like it has egg in it!”

The post Career Exposure…At Any Age! appeared first on Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco.