Blogs

Let’s spotlight the second oldest program at YES, Youth Mentoring Program (YMP)!

Volunteers of this program establish one-on-one mentorship relationships with elementary and middle school youth in Humboldt County. Volunteers mentor youth for one year, and they often volunteer for multiple years in order to continue these mentorships. This experience is extremely valuable for both youth participants and YMP volunteers! YMP currently has seven volunteers and two directors, Diana Rodriguez and Andrea Torres, that mentor youth at Pacific Union Elementary School.

Welcome to YES House’s New Blog!

Many changes have come to the YES House since it was started in 1968, almost five decades ago. Most have been to improve and strengthen the programs offered by enthusiastic youth volunteers. You are witnessing first-hand the transition from a yearly paper newsletter to an online blog! The YES House’s long-lived newsletter has served its purpose for a timely 47 years, and is now retiring to the technological advancements of the internet.

ART Inspires Big Changes; In Majors, Friends and Perspectives

When Marissa Sanchez first started her academic career at Humboldt, she thought she wanted to do science, but like many other students at Humboldt, eventually changed her major to something that truly serves her heart. However, her transition from Zoology to Theatre came only after she started volunteering as a director of Art Recreation Theatre (ART), a program that offers after school activities to children in elementary schools around Humboldt County.

The Health of the Latino Community, Supported by Puentes

The “hidden” nature of the Latino community in Humboldt can sometimes make those members feel lonely or separated from their culture, but young volunteers from Puentes truly care  to make a difference in their lives. As volunteers, we know in our hearts that one person can make a huge impact on someone else’s life, but the enigma is that the effects are rarely seen by the person making the change.

Juvenile Hall Recreation Program’s Slam Dunk Volunteer

All the kids always ask for Jon, “Where’s Jon? Is he here... He’s on my team!!” A humble guy by nature, Jon is modest when we acknowledge him for his contributions to JHRP. A basketball enthusiast, Jon’s favorite activity is to play and practice honing skills alongside the eager teens. He says that all he does is, “Just play basketball,” when in reality he does more than dribble the ball and shoot hoops. He mentors and encourages the youth to participate, and (seemingly unknowingly) appoints himself as a positive role model to those who may have not formally had a reliable guide.

New Mentors Feel the Beat

Those of us who don’t play an instrument might not consider ourselves musically gifted, or be inclined to lend a hand to teach others, but volunteers like Julianna Salinas cross those boundaries without a second thought. Although Julianna may not be a music major at Humboldt, she has shown talent in other areas like mentoring kids with North Coast Music Mentors, a newer YES program she recently took over. As a mentor, she has seen children become more interested in music and has personally guided groups of children (and herself) into becoming more rhythmic people.