Our first ever online Community Program offering, "Tools and Teachings for Trying Times" was launched over Zoom on April 7 and ran throughout the month of April.
Eleven youth completed the program and the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Below are a few comments from the participants:
"I learned a lot and am very grateful for what I get to take away from this program. I learned more about myself and the other people doing this with me."
"The highlight of the program for me was being able to truly listen and resonate with what other people were saying."
"Personally, I really enjoyed this program and don't think it needed improvement."
Thank you to our donors for making this program possible.
This semester we were blessed to have AliciaConnolly, a senior Digital Media Production Major at SUNY New Paltz, with us as an intern. Alicia has produced all of our promotional and archival videos this spring, and is now working on a new project, Voices of Youth. The project is a compilation of short videos taken by our Youth Action Team members while the stay-at-home orders were in effect in New York. Each teen reflects on their work with the Maya Gold Foundation. Above is a sneak peak of the project. Keep an eye open for the full video, coming soon!
Eager to find ways to give back to our community, our Youth Action Team members developed an online story time for young children, QuaranTeen Storytime. The program is up and running and will continue until the stay-at-home orders are lifted in New York.
Each day one of our Youth Action Team Members has a scheduled time to read stories to children aged 3-6, over Zoom. The program is being offered at no cost and has been well received.
Click the image above to register, and please share the link with any families you know with young children. The offering is made to children anywhere, not only in our local area.
We are so happy to welcome eleven new teens to our Youth Action Team! Congratulations to (top left to bottom right) Noah Barrett, Sophia Luczak, Maya Todd, Sadie Spring, Georgia Benedict, Kaylin Martin, Emily Lawrence, Christine Vigliotti, Olivia Baum, Phoebe Eis, & Amelia Looft. We cannot wait to see what each teen will bring to the Maya Gold Foundation and to Youth Action Team. ⠀
A few comments from our new members:
"I want to make a difference in my community."
"I have been looking for a way to serve, and the Maya Gold Foundation feels like the right way to do it."
"I want to help implement ideas from the teens."
"I want to find the best ways to help others."
The new group took part in an orientation on May 12 and we hope to meet in person soon! Congratulations and welcome to all of them.
Meet Kaylin, one of our new Youth Action Team members. Kaylin is a student in the Onteora School District, and was a participant in our fall Community Program, Teen Voices Rising. She was also planning to join us in Nepal this year, and is expecting to join us next year. In the video above Kaylin shares a few words about joining the Youth Action Team. Kaylin brings a bright spirit and endless optimism to the Foundation, and we are delighted to have her with us.
While much is still unknown about the global situation this fall, we are hoping there will be a return to safe travel and we are also hoping to be able to run the 2020 Adult Trip to Nepal. Click the image above to sign up to receive updates about the trip. There is no commitment required at this time; we will keep you informed over the summer about trip status and scheduled overview webinars.
On the last day of the 2019 Adult Trip to Nepal, we shared stories (and a cake) with our trekking guides and friends we made over the previous two weeks. Spend a few moments with us in the video above as we reminisce and say goodbye.
We are now rated as a Platinum Charity on the Guidestar platform.
Click the logo to find out more.
We have been awarded the "Top Rated Nonprofit" Designation by Great Nonprofits.
Click the logo to find out more.
Why “ROCA”?
At Maya’s funeral, her friend Ana told a story.
We used the story as the inspiration for name of this newsletter.
Ana's story is below.
