SAY's 35th Anniversery Celebration

Fall 2005 Newsletter (PDF)

Spring 2005 Newsletter (PDF)

Meeting the Need, Spring 2004

SAY Honors Pastor Coffee

Helping Foster Youth Transition to Adulthood

COMMUNITYsmart Card

Donate Your Vehicle

Meeting the Need, Fall 2003

Teen Shelter Named For Dr. James E. Coffee

Teen Shelter 10th Anniversary Celebration

Friends by Choice

“Adopt-a-Room” Transformations

Meeting the Need, Spring 2003

Destined to Succeed

SAY Honors Pastor Coffee

The Rev. James E. Coffee believes “everyone needs a shoulder to lean on,” and also knows firsthand of the emergency services youth receive 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at Social Advocates for Youth’s teen shelter, recently named the Dr. James E. Coffee House in his honor.

SAY honored Pastor Coffee March 7 at the Sonoma Vineyard Creek Hotel & Conference Center. That evening 460 people turned out to pay tribute to Pastor Coffee’s legacy in the community and to support Social Advocates for Youth.

Coffee has been an instrumental part of this community for more than 40 years and piloted youth mentoring programs such as “Rites of Passage” and the “Village Project.” He has also referred some of his own parishioners to the shelter and recently remarked, “They came out with different, positive perspectives on life and family. I consider SAY an arm of my church.”

The newly named “Coffee House” has provided emergency housing, food, clothing, counseling and additional comforts to more then 2,000 people during the past year, according to Kathy Farrell, board member and development chairwoman for Social Advocates for Youth. Celeste Austin, coordinator of the Coffee House, notes that the shelter is a hub for a variety of adjunct services including Street Outreach, which provides services to teens living on the streets and other high-risk youth; the county’s only crisis line for teens and their parents; drop-in services for older teens and very young adults; free family counseling; family reunification services; a clothes closet; and three meals daily for shelter residents and drop-ins.

To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the shelter, SAY sought to find a worthy namesake for this safe haven. Coffee quickly emerged as an obvious choice.

Coffee, has been a pastor of Community Baptist Church in Santa Rosa for 40 years and much like SAY, believes in “making a difference one person at a time.” Farrell, reflecting on the choice of Rev. Coffee proudly states, “whether you’re a member of Community Baptist or someplace else, people go to him as a magnet when families are in crisis,”much like SAY’s clientele.

The gala event featured a varied program with moving tributes by such notables as Congresswoman LynnWoolsey, Assemblywoman Patricia Wiggins, Santa Rosa City Council Members Bob Blanchard and Jane Bender, among others. Other highlights of the evening included a historical perspective by Press Democrat columnist Gaye LeBaron, a vocalist, and touching tributes by members of Pastor Coffee’s family.

SAY Executive Director Frances Caballo says, “The love and admiration for Pastor Coffee flowed and warmed the room. People were thrilled and proud to be there for him.”

Rev. Coffee professed to be “overwhelmed” and “humbled” by the tribute not to mention impressed with the annual fundraiser. “The program flowed so well, and I didn’t expect that kind of turnout,” he said. “It’s one of the best events I’ve been to.” His wife, Vivian was brimming with pride and succinctly captured the theme of the night. “It’s abunch of people coming together for a common cause, the good of young people.”

Rev. Coffee reminded us that our work together is only beginning. “Assisting youth is a marathon, not a 100 yard dash. I want to add more to the facility and make this a model for other cities to check out.”

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Helping Foster Youth Transition to Adulthood

Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County (CAP), Burbank Housing Development Corporation, and Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) are joining forces to create a new program that would provide supportive housing and wraparound services for youth who are “aging out” of the foster care system.

Burbank Housing and CAP are purchasing a former assisted living center on Yulupa Avenue in Santa Rosa. SAY will provide the program services.

Finding funds for program services was the most difficult aspect of starting this new project. United Way has solved that problem by committing $100,000 to SAY.

“United Way has been, from the start, very interested in this project,” said SAY Executive Director Frances Caballo. “The leadership at United Way, including CEO Mike Kasper and his top volunteers, grasped very quickly the need for these services in our community and the opportunity that CAP and Burbank Housing were handing to us. I commend United Way for taking a very proactive position and partnering with us early on. This grant says a lot about United Way and its vision.”

On any given day there are 90,000 children in California’s foster care system. These are children who have been removed from their homes due to neglect and some form of abuse, whether physical, sexual or both.

When these youth turn 18, governmental agencies are no longer responsible for the teens’ welfare. Research indicates that four years after these dependents of the court are released, many of them struggle with taking care of their most basic needs. As reported in the Little Hoover Commission’s February 2003 report:

• One-third fail to complete high school and few enter college
• 25% end up homeless
• 50% are chronically unemployed
• 25% get arrested and incarcerated
• 33% rely on public assistance

Through this new collaborative effort, CAP, Burbank Housing, United Way and SAY intend to improve these statistics for former foster care youth in Sonoma County. In addition to providing housing, SAY will provide case management and counseling, and assist the young adults acquire the skills they will need to be successful and self-reliant in their lives.

To assist SAY in raising funds to support the services, or for more information about the project, call Executive Director Frances Caballo at 544-3299, ext. 218.

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COMMUNITYsmart, which is affiliated with Summit State Bank, is an
easy way for community-based organizations, such as SAY, to raise
money. By applying for a credit card through Summit State Bank, you
can accumulate air travel miles and support SAY (and other non-profit
agencies) by shopping with local businesses who have agreed to funnel
some of their revenues from your purchases to the entities you designate.
The program is similar to Scrip. There is no added cost to you.

How does it work?
Consumers enroll in COMMUNITYsmart, obtain a card and
designate Social Advocates for Youth to receive cash donations from their
purchases at participating COMMUNITYsmart Merchants. Participating
Merchants swipe the Member’s COMMUNITYsmart card through the
register, which triggers a cash donation to Social Advocates for Youth.
Members accumulate points for COMMUNITYsmart Personal Rewards,
redeemable for travel, entertainment, dining and merchandise. SAY
receives these cash donations funded by the Participating Merchants
through the COMMUNITYsmart program. COMMUNITYsmart’s automated
electronic processing, reporting and awards system does the rest.

Why are merchants motivated to participate?
It creates loyal customers, bringing new and repeat customers into
stores. It enables a positive response to all requests for donations in the
community.

Here are some examples of COMMUNITYsmart merchants:

• Benjamin Tire and Brake
• ToobTown & Q-Zar
• Pacific Market
• Friedman's
• Coldwell Banker
• Hurd Real Estate
• Baskin Robbins
• Copperfield's

How do I get involved?
Call 707-544-3299 ext. 226 to request a Gold MasterCard application (this application will be available online shortly). At the top of the application, indicate Social Advocates for Youth as the nonprofit you wish to support. When you are shopping, be sure to look for the COMMUNITYsmart logo and use your new card at those businesses.

Visit www.COMMUNITYsmart.com for more information.

If you have questions, call call Paddy Coreris at 707-544-3299 ext. 226, or Dan Condron at COMMUNITYsmart, 707-360-6433 or email him at condron@nietech.com.

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Donate Your Vehicle

There are many ways to support SAY. One way that you may not be aware of is to donate your vehicle. You will receive the benefit of a write-off as well as knowing that your donation will allow us to continue providing vital services to youth in our community. We can accept any vehicle - 1992 model year or newer - as well as any year Volvo or vintage car.

For more information about our vehicle donation program please contact Bonnie at 544-3299 ext. 231.

>Click here to learn more about donating to SAY

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Teen Shelter Named For Dr. James E. Coffee

Social Advocates for Youth, the Sonoma County youth services agency, announced today it is naming its unique shelter for homeless and runaway teens for Dr. James E. Coffee, pastor of Community Baptist Church of Santa Rosa and a longtime community leader and advocate for young people.

SAY executive director Frances Caballo said the non-profit agency is naming the facility for Pastor Coffee in conjunction with its yearlong celebration of the teen shelter’s 10th anniversary, which will culminate next March at a dinner and fundraiser honoring Coffee.

“We wanted to name the shelter after a deserving community member, someone who shares a passion for improving the lives of young people in Sonoma County,” said Caballo. “Dr. Coffee is the natural fit. He has touched the lives and helped countless people in our county for more than 40 years. We’re honored he has accepted our request to name our facility the Dr. James E. Coffee House.”

“We fully anticipate that before long young people in crisis in Sonoma County will know they’ll find safety, support and comfort at SAY’s Coffee House,” Caballo said.

SAY, which has provided vital services to youth and their families in Sonoma County for more than 30 years, operates the only shelter exclusively established to serve homeless and runaway teens in the county. The shelter, located on Ripley Street in Santa Rosa, provides overnight shelter, meals, clothing, crisis counseling, and family reunification services to about 260 youth every year. Additionally, it provides longer-term family counseling and drop-in services for young adults, including three meals a day. An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 people use one or more of the services housed at the shelter every year.

Caballo said Coffee and SAY share a common philosophy for helping people.

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Teen Shelter 10th Anniversary Celebration
A Great Success!

This past June SAY celebrated the 10th anniversary of its teen shelter. To commemorate this milestone we held two events: a chili cook-off and open house at the shelter on June 20th and a fundraising event to honor those city officials instrumental in the building of the shelter on June 26th.

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, donors and guests these events were each a great success.We were humbled by the generosity of those who we asked to help with these events - from the restaurants and bakeries who donated their specialties for the fundraising event to the volunteer cooks who slaved over a hot stove in the heat of summer to provide chili for the cook-off.

We are happy to report that we raised over $5,800 at the June 26th fundraising event. The price of admission to the chili cook-off and open house was the donation of much needed supplies for the shelter.We were overwhelmed with the kindness of those who attended this event. Here is a list of what we received that day:

• 100 toothbrushes
• 30 tubes of toothpaste
• 50 bottles of shampoo/conditioner
• 100 pair of socks
• 50 T-shirts
• 10 cases of water/soda
• 25 packages of toilet paper
• 10 packages of paper plates
• 10 packages of napkins
• 4 sleeping bags

We also received $1,900 in cash donations, which was a wonderful surprise. And when the votes were tallied, we had a tie for the winner of the chili cook-off. Celeste Austin and the Santa Rosa Fire Department shared the blue ribbon. Congratulations to the winners, and to all who entered.

Especially in these tough financial times, donations of both supplies and cash are greatly appreciated and are vital for the continued operation of the shelter. The staff, as well as the clients we serve, thank you for your generosity, kindness and support.

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Friends by Choice
by Steve Janos, SAY Program Coordinator

Stephanie Villalobos is like any teenager. She was seeking an adult to talk to (besides Mom and Dad) and someone to do things with. She had heard about SAY's mentoring program from a career education specialist in SAY's Opportunities Now program. She needed an adult to spend free time with, one who could listen well and offer valuable feedback, based on wisdom gained through life experiences. She needed a confidant. What she received was far more valuable-a friend.

Last December, Stephanie met Marlene, who works as the Assistant to the Publisher for the Press Democrat. They've become regular correspondents and have a blossoming friendship. They see one another nearly every Sunday-far exceeding the obligatory commitment that all mentors agree to. They keep up with one another via e-mails and phone calls during the week, and eagerly anticipate their Sunday sojourns together.

They do a variety of things together and truly enjoy each other's company. They've gone shopping at numerous locales all over the North Bay and further, and Marlene has even assisted Stephanie with homework and a school project Stephanie completed on Honduras.What they both enjoy first and foremost is talking with one another. They consider each other excellent listeners- a valuable and underrated trait which seems harder to come by these days. Stephanie and Marlene enjoy taking long walks, often at Howarth Park and Spring Lake, and chatting about whatever is on each other's mind, not to mention sharing a good laugh along the way.

Marlene has been a mentor with SAY for six years and Stephanie is the sixth young lady she's worked with. According to Marlene, Stephanie is, by far, the most "vivacious" as well as being extremely "mature." She goes on to describe Stephanie as refreshingly "straight forward." Marlene takes a special interest in each girls' future that she works with. Each of the previous six have graduated from high school and all are working as well. The sincerity Marlene consistently demonstrates seems to ensure success. Stephanie is extremely interested in becoming a fashion designer, and Marlene plans on taking her to the Fashion Institute in San Francisco this summer.

Marlene, who was born and raised in Germany, is intent on broadening Stephanie's horizons by making sure she sees much of what Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area has to offer. They've already traveled together to various culturally rich and diverse cities such as Napa, Sonoma, Calistoga and San Francisco, among others.

The mutual respect and admiration they feel toward one another is apparent and noteworthy. They both unequivocally state that they will definitely stay in touch throughout their lifetimes. Marlene has attended special events in Stephanie's life such as her confirmation, which Marlene described as "fabulous." They've met each other's families and enjoyed Sunday dinner together, on numerous occasions.

Stephanie works 25-35 hours a week as a cashier and is determined to become a fashion designer. Between Stephanie's commitments and Marlene's busy schedule, it is sometimes hard to get together. After one ten-day period of not seeing each other, Marlene realized just how much she missed spending time with Stephanie. The feeling is definitely mutual.

Stephanie describes Marlene as "kind, and up for anything. She's willing to try anything new, and she's very funny. She means everything to me, I've learned when it comes to friendship, age makes no difference."

Stephanie, a spry sixteen year-old, and Marlene, a middle-aged mother, find plenty to talk about, and no shortage of activities to engage in. Besides shopping, helping with an occasional school project, taking walks and sharing a good laugh,Marlene has taught Stephanie quite a bit. Marlene, according to Stephanie has, "taught me a lot about qualities I look for in friendships, as well as helping me with my relationship with my mom.When I first met Marlene, my mother and I weren't speaking, now we get along much better. Marlene, having raised a teenager, gives me my mother's perspective and always offers excellent advice."

Marlene stated that she became a mentor to "pass on experience she's gained over the years and to help a younger person. This is the next generation, it's vital that we take a vested interest in them." It's obvious Marlene has, and equally apparent that she's made a dramatic difference in Stephanie's life.

If you would like to make a difference in a teenager's life, you can volunteer to be a mentor by calling the SAY mentor coordinator, Lisa Gregori, at 544-3299 ext. 213.

>Click here to learn more about SAYs Mentoring Program

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“Adopt-a-Room” Transformations>

When we put an ad in the community connection section of The Press Democrat last March asking for volunteers to refurbish the rooms in our teen shelter, we had no idea the creativity, dedication and talent that would emerge. Of the fifteen volunteers who attended the first meeting, three teams were formed-a mother and daughter; a newly transplanted housewife and a junior high-school student; and a painter and a concerned community member.

The result is that three of the four bedrooms have been transformed into artistic, peaceful, and cheerful sanctuaries, all unique and beautiful.When the fourth room is done later this summer, we will invite all of these artists, along with their friends and families, back to the shelter for a thank-you reception.

These rooms, once plain, dull and institutional are now truly works of art.We thank these community members who came forward, formed friendships, created plans, dedicated their time and talents, and left a lasting mark on the only teen shelter in our county.

To take a tour of the shelter and view these works of art for yourself, please call 544-3299. for more information.

>Click here to learn more about SAY's Adopt-a-Room Program

>Click here to learn about volunteering for SAY

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