Blog

Narbonne High School Day of Service with The Asomugha Foundation

2013-04-09T17:36:52Z

Things are moving and shaking over at the Narbonne School Garden. What use to be a forgotten, overgrown area is now in a full swing revival!

We had our first pre-workday with The Asomugha Foundation on Saturday, April 6. With many rakes, shovels and paint brushes in hand, NFL Pro Bowler and new San Francisco 49er Nnamdi Asomugha and 40 student volunteers from his ACTS program showed us the true meaning of giving back to the community. Together we planted seedlings, renewed worn picnic tables with several loving coats of paint and weeded our rose beds. We are very thankful to the Asomugha Foundation for their contribution to the Narbonne School Garden.

We are also so very, very thankful to Cornerstone Construction Group for all their efforts in prepping the two-acre area. Among many improvements, including upgraded irrigation and electrical, is a beautiful outdoor stage that will provide our budding Narbonne “stars” the opportunity to perform under the stars for years to come. Cornerstone Construction Group has been a Sharefest partner since the very beginning and has completed community projects such as The Historical Morrell House in Redondo Beach, an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build in 2006, the Cheryl Green Community Center in the Harbor Gateway, the installation of two scoreboards and a school garden for San Pedro High School. Now that’s how you give back to the community!!!

We also want to thank Mamma Chia for “seeding our souls” and sharing the Mamma Chia love on Saturday. Their thoughtful donation of vitality beverages and squeeze packs kept our community day humming. Click here to see how this project is progressing.

Putting for Projects

2013-04-09T00:28:01Z

On Friday April 4, 2013 Balfour Beatty Construction (BBC) and its many partners hosted its first annual Golf Tournament at the Skylinks Golf Course in Long Beach, California in support of Sharefest.

Despite the early overcast, the sun emerged from behind the clouds and provided the attendees a perfect sunny and slightly breezy day of golfing for a purpose. Volunteers welcomed the golfers with gifts of appreciation along with a beautiful Adidas golf shirt where we had BBC stitched on our hearts and wore the Sharefest emotions on our sleeves. There were wonderful raffle items as well that included gifts such an embroidered Titleist Golf Bag, an iPod Mini and a Swiss Army Watch. Throughout the day the attendees enjoyed a full round of golf and participated in friendly yet competitive activities such as “longest drive” and “closest to the pin” contests. The day ended with a succulent three-course dinner with lively entertainment and spirited conversation.

Thanks to Balfour Beatty Construction and other generous sponsors, the day proved to be a complete success raising over $25,000 to support Sharefest’s 10^th Annual Workday and Youth Development Programming. Our heart felt thanks to Balfour Beatty Construction, the numerous sponsors as well as all those who volunteered in our First Annual Golf Tournament. We look forward to next year’s tournament and partnering with this wonderful organization in our upcoming Annual Workday on Saturday, May 4 which will mobilize thousands of volunteers to complete tangible work projects that will change the quality of life for everyone in the Greater Los Angeles area. Please click here to see photos from the day.

About Balfour Beatty Construction
A leader in the U.S. commercial construction industry, Balfour Beatty Construction provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services through more than 2,400 professionals nationwide. The company has been cited as a Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering-News Record for the past two years, and as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For® by FORTUNE magazine for three years in a row. The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc, a global leader in professional services, construction services, support services, and infrastructure investment, with more than $18 billion in annual revenues. To learn more about the company and its subsidiary—Howard S. Wright—visit www.balfourbeattyus.com.

avalon students wear a new hat

2013-03-05T22:22:42Z

On March 2, 2013 thirty Avalon Continuation High School students and teachers boarded the local dash public bus and made their way across town to Hawaiian Elementary School to participate in Read Across America’s annual reading awareness program. Through a day to celebrate the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss, students and community members had an opportunity to experience the powerful impact of service on individual students and a community. While about half the students had never been to Hawaiian Elementary, many of the others were eager to return to the school they had matriculated from and their younger siblings were now attending. Leaving behind their school books and cell phones, each Avalon high school student carried their favorite Dr. Seuss book they would soon have the opportunity to share with a classroom of their own. The students had been practicing reading the books aloud in preparation for the big day and for some the nervousness of the task at hand was visible as they flipped through the brightly colored books as they waited for the bus to arrive. As the bus moved through the Wilmington community a few students looked up to point out their favorite fast food restaurant or the street they avoid to stay out of trouble and away from gang violence. The conversations while lively were limited by the glares from other student using the commute time to look through the pages of their books.

When the group arrived at the school the office manager greeted the principal and students with a smile and led them to the library where they were offered breakfast and hand-stitched Cat and The Hat hats to wear during the reading. The Avalon students filled the library and sat politely on the tiny chairs as they were provided with nametags and room assignments. Each student placed on their red and white top hat and made their way to their classroom. While one student read to a special needs class of students, another read to fifth graders. The fifth graders excitedly raised their hands after the story to ask their reader a 17-year old questions like, “ Is high school hard?” and “ Have you ever been bullied”. When the high school student reassembled in the library many of them expressed a sense of pride, some discussed wanting to work as teachers in the future and another group of males talked about how being a parent is difficult especially in high school. The high school students arrived back at their school just two short hours later and quietly returned to the classes taking place without them. While to the elementary students and the passing community members they were role models and heroes, back in the gate of their high school they were just regular students again. One student explained, “…this was the highlight of my year”.

Heartfelt Thanks to the Employees Community Fund of Boeing california

2013-01-06T00:08:11Z

Happy New Year everyone-- our 2013 is off to a great start! Sharefest was recently selected as a 2012 grant recipient by the Employees Community Fund (ECF) of Boeing California!

Our heartfelt thanks to ECF of Boeing California for believing in the work of Sharefest, and for supporting our Youth Development Academy (YDA). A very special thanks to those who helped us through every step of the way: Executive Director Carrie Bollwinkle (ECF CA), Acting Director - Satellite Integration, Test & Launch Anthony Pirozzi Jr., Program Officer Margaret Burdeno (ECF CA), and Daneisha Brazzle (ECF CA), who paid us a very pleasant site visit!

Left: Chad Mayer, Executive Director of Sharefest
Right: Anthony Pirozzi Jr., Acting Director of Satellite Integration, Test & Launch, The Boeing CompanyThe ECF is an employee-owned and operated nonprofit organization. It is a unique employee giving program that allows Boeing employees to support the needs of their local communities through tax-deductible recurring payroll deductions or one-time gifts. The ECF pledge to its members is that 100% of the dollars contributed will be returned to the areas where contributors live and work. More than 350 nonprofit organizations benefit each year from the average $2.4 million in employee contributions each year.

Recognizing the need for continuing improvement in the quality of life, the ECF of Boeing California supports a variety of programs aimed at making our communities better places to live. With the support Sharefest has received, we are able to continue to offer interactive academic programming for our YDA. The YDA provides after-school courses for high school credit and stresses the importance of education, health and wellness, violence prevention, leadership, and teaches life skills.

avalon students provide christmas to the communities most needy

2012-12-17T18:56:27Z

Avalon High School students show their generosity and support for the work Harbor Interfaith does within the community. Each year Avalon partners with Harbor Interfaith to bring non-persible food items, Christmas gifts and clothing to the over 1200 adults and nearly 700 children Harbor Interfaith will serve during this holiday season. This year was Avalon High School's largest collection of gift items and food to date. Student Body President, Monic Cortez under the leadership of Ms. Faye Kirk, a teacher at Avalon, reached out to community partners to engage Sharefest, as well as Rio Tinto, British Petroleum and others to provide additional gift cards and funding for their effort. It is so inspiring to see so many students give so much to those who are less fortunate, understanding that many of these students go without some of the same basic necessities themselves. This is a true testimony of the stewardship of the youth and faculty at Avalon High School and a tangible example of the true spirit of giving this holiday season.

year-round yda - a resounding success

2012-12-12T03:55:11Z

post created by Shannell McMillan, Program Director

As the semester closes for our year-round YDA programming at Avalon Continuation High School we are celebrating the success of many who have graduated over the past 4 months. With program partners like Derrick Engoy offering a college level creative writing course, he not only helped the students recover their "creative selves" but also assisted them in earning the much needed english credits towards their graduation.

The students, under the caring guidance of new principal, Dr. Monica Fiello, seem to be transforming into a community of self motivated, community minded, laser focused individuals with their sights set on a post high school education and a desire to come back and serve along side fellow Avalon students at Sharefest's 10th Annual Workday, Saturday, May 4, 2013.

Year Round YDA is a collaborative effort with the teachers, administrators and the LCSW Ms. Lamb who provide the students with a holistic approach to education and personal development.

In a recent letter shared by one of the students written to a teacher, the student shared the tremendous impact the staff has made on her life. She shared that Avalon isn't just a high school, it is a community and the teachers have become "family" to her.

Very few people get the privilege to see behind the scenes at a continuation high school. The students are dynamic, energetic, multi-faceted and uniquely gifted which requires a lot from the teachers who instruct them. I am profoundly moved by the personal commitment, tenacity and dedication of the staff and our program partners at Avalon to find creative ways to keep the students engaged and learning as they move through their high school careers.

Thank you to all the Sharefest corporate sponsors who partner with us in providing this unique experience for the students of our Year Round YDA here at Avalon High School. Your investment makes a immeasureable difference in the lives of these youth, their families and their futures.

The Creative Collision

2012-10-19T21:03:53Z

By Derrick Engoy

Q: What happens when creative writing collides with the community?

A: A beautiful explosion that rains down the amalgamation of teenaged minds and words onto the doorsteps of creative recovery.

When the opportunity to teach creative writing to the wonderful teens of Avalon High School came knocking, I didn't hesitate to swing the door wide open. I jumped at the chance to unleash on their curious minds the creative literary tools that I accumulated throughout my learning years (to some degree, I’m still learning). I excitedly dove into my writing toolbox to conceptualize what the journey could look like for them. And, because it has always been my dream to offer creative writing classes for the community, seeing my desires come to fruition has left me elated since we began a few weeks back.

The journey, I imagine, has yet to even begin.

I’m a firm believer that creative writing is more than just delicately dotting “I’s” and collaboratively crossing “T’s”. It’s more than properly perfecting verb and noun agreements. It goes beyond fusing comma spliced sentences. And it dives a little deeper than conjugating words to convey proper mood. Creative writing is a holistic endeavor. And, in this endeavor toward harnessing our creative side, the journey actually dives into a rediscovery of what once was lost. I operate under the conviction that we were all once more creative than we are. The fact that we were created by something or someone leads me to believe that we possess hints of creativity. Unfortunately, through the course of life and our maturation toward adulthood, our creativeness has subsided into the depth of our own black holes and simply hibernates until we wake it up.

Our goal then is to awaken our creative beasts.

This is the journey of our class. This, in essence, is the journey of our lives. It’s a rediscovery of what was once lost. And through various writing exercises and self-discovery tools, the students at Avalon High School are on a journey to explore their “artistic child.” It’s only been a few weeks since the students began their trek to unearth their dormant creative selves from the gravels of conformity, but they’ve already shoveled past the surface and have met hints of creativity with excited surprise.

“Someone told me she thought it’d be a regular boring class,” one student said of another student’s comments.

It’s this kind of enthusiasm that propels me to provide an environment for creative rediscovery to happen. It’s this kind of eagerness that encourages me to assist them in their desire to be more creative. It’s this kind of unexpected realization that creative writing isn’t as mundane as they initially assumed that invigorates me to excitedly come alongside them in their discovery.

I’m looking forward to seeing these students journey deeper into themselves and extracting more artistry. I’m looking forward to the rest of the semester and enter their worlds of poetry, prose, short stories. And, perhaps, joining the students on their revelatory path will help to unearth more creativity that’s still dormant in me.

a visit from Dodgers great Maury Wills.

2012-09-11T19:57:34Z

During the last week of the Summer YDA, campers were treated to a baseball clinic. They learned to field, hit and catch on the beautiful baseball fields of Cal State Dominguez Hills. The week ended up with a visit from Dodger great Maury Wills on probably one of the hottest days of the year. Out on the field, the legend told about growing up poor in the suburbs of Washngton D.C, playing baseball without shoes. He said one of his greatest influences was a visit from a major leaguer to the local park when he was 8 years old. The pro encouraged Maury to get some shoes and pursue baseball as he saw his talent. Maury then tossed the ball to a few children and told them that they should all be thinking about what they wanted to be when they grow up and to start working on their dreams.

Afterwards, he posed for pictures in the dugout and signed photos for everyone of the 220 campers and their counselors. He asked every child their name and joked with them in the heat of the dugout. When it was suggested he stop early, Maury replied "all of these kids are interesting and I don't want to dissapoint them". It was a memorable day as Maury managed to connect with everyone and expressed through his words and example, the importance of giving back.

meet evan

2012-09-11T19:29:48Z

Evan is 13 years old and this was his first time to the summer YDA. He did not want to attend the YDA because he believed it was for "kids who had to stay out of trouble" which he felt was not his case. He preferred to stay at home over the summer. When asked what he would have done at home, he replied "watch tv and be bored". Evan was also hesitant because he feels he often has a hard time fitting in and did not want to spend a month being the odd man out. Alas, his mom found out about the program and made him apply. When we interviewed Evan at the end of the program he said it was all worthwhile because of the people he met, especially his counselor Gabriel. He actually felt that the relationship he formed with Gabriel was the highlight of his experience because Gabriel could relate to him. They were able to spend some time talking in between all the swimming and sports. Evan learned that Gabriel shared simliar experiences and struggles growing up. Evan said it felt good to know someone understood.

The Summer YDA is about exposing children to new experiences, teaching them new skills,and allowing them to have a productive summer while avoiding the "brain drain" that so many children experience over the summer months. For many though, like Evan, it is a time to meet new people and make friendships in a warm, non-threatening environment where they can be themselves.

no pain...no gain

2012-08-02T12:53:22Z

Josiah struggled to get himself out of the water today. An advanced swimmer who stands taller than most of his 8^th grade peers, he sluggishly pulled his upper body up from the pool’s concrete edge, wincing and groaning from a task that was rather easy just the day before. Noticing Josiah’s unusually slow behavior, Dustin, YDA’s very own swim coach, inquired.

“It’s cause of football practice,” Josiah explained. “My body is so sore, especially my shoulders.”

Josiah and Dustin continued to converse. Eventually, Dustin learned that Josiah takes football practice very seriously because at the young, ripe age of thirteen, Josiah dreams to be a professional NFL player.

Soreness, however, is a very familiar feeling for Dustin, who swam all throughout high school and competed in several C.I.F. swim events. Understanding the hardships of being an athlete, Dustin shared some of his wisdom with Josiah.

“Just tell yourself two things, my friend. You love it, and you need it,”

Josiah looked confused. “Huh?” he asked.

“Yeah, you gotta tell yourself that you love being sore and you need to be sore. That’s the only way you know you’re getting better,” Dustin said.

As I stalkerishly watched this interaction from afar, I could tell that Josiah was intrigued. I had talked to Josiah about his NFL dreams many times. In fact, Josiah wouldn’t really call it a dream – he calls it his future. Determined to have an all-around healthy lifestyle, he even explained to me that he doesn’t ever plan to go near drugs or alcohol because it could ruin his body and his future career.

YDA is filled with future NFL players, doctors, engineers, teachers, entertainers, and much more. I’m thrilled to be a part of a camp that not only keeps them active during the summer months, but also gives them a greater perspective for their bright futures. Our time with them may only be within a short one-month span, but the impact we make with our words and wisdom can hopefully reverberate as they make crucial decisions that lead up to their goals.

So as Dustin explained, Josiah nodded. Not the kind of rolling-of-the-eyes nod that kids sometimes give while being lectured; but a genuine, slow nod with a small grin on his face. Josiah was enlightened. The light bulb went off in his head – no pain, no gain.