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La Vida - August/September 2021 Newsletter
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As schools in West Marin resume, school staff, families, youth, and community-based organizations have much to think about: how do we do this safely; how do we negotiate the unknowns; how do we manage and track vaccinations, masks, social distancing, handwashing, schoolwork; and how do we guide young people on their developmental journeys. How do we find joy, increase wellness, and provide access to the resiliency skills that we all will need to live in the world today? As a youth services community-based program, we support West Marin youth in thriving and cultivating connections with a focus on their future.
We've heard from many of our youth and family partners recently. Everyone wants to know: when will the Youth Center reopen? We are excited to share that our reopening is imminent! We are working diligently to ensure that we can reopen safely and sustainably for the 2021-22 school year. The realities of the pandemic present unique though not insurmountable challenges for our WMCS-Youth Services Program. We cannot do this important work alone. We need to hear from you!
We are currently accepting sign-ups for children in grades 6 through 12 for our Youth Center programs. Please register your children as soon as possible so that we can plan accordingly. Registration will be open until September 30th. While we aim to include all interested youth and families, space is more constrained than usual due to the pandemic and registrations will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration is quick and simple. Click here to fill out the online form now! We look forward to serving you and your children.
Please scroll down to learn more about some of the many ways that our WMCS - Youth Services Program has been advancing the interests of youth and families in West Marin. The strength of our program depends on you getting involved. Please do.
Madeline Nieto Hope
Director, Youth Services Program
West Marin Community Services
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Our Voices Were Heard!
Marin County Parks and Open Space: Petition for Safe Bike & Skate Recreational Areas in Point Reyes Station - What's Next?
A big shout out and THANK YOU to all who made our petition for Safe Bike & Skate Recreational Areas in Point Reyes Station a reality. Nearly six hundred people signed our petition! Thanks to you, our voices were heard.
We are thrilled to let you know that we have been invited to submit a proposal to Supervisor Rodoni and County Parks and Open Space Director Korten. Our WMCS-Youth Services Program Recreation Committee will develop the proposal with your help. We need 3-4 adults and 3-4 youth to join us to ensure the development of a strong proposal.
Please sign up today!
We are also extremely grateful and excited to announce that our Youth Center will have ongoing support from Marin County Parks. This year we will continue our mountain bike and skateboard clubs and initiate a water safety program for youth and families in West Marin. Make sure your child does not miss out on these wonderful opportunities to bike, skate, and swim.
Sign them up for our WMCS-Youth Services Program today!
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Let's Talk: Navigating Youth Substance Use in Marin
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West Marin Coalition for Healthy Youth (WMCHY) and the Marin Prevention Network align our values and our actions around underage substance use including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other drugs such as prescription drugs, and vaping. Our coalition has reached across West Marin to understand how best to communicate with families, youth, school staff, and sector partners about underage substance use.
The first Let's Talk booklets were created and distributed in 2020 as a collaborative effort between Marin Prevention Network, Marin County’s Department of Health and Human Services, and the County’s Office of Education to provide a resource to Marin families addressing the local issue of underage substance use and abuse.
This year we are incredibly proud to have been part of creating a Middle School Let's Talk Booklet that is a companion to the High School Booklet. We have disseminated over 5,000 booklets to each incoming 6th and 9th-grade family, principals, school, administrators, counselors, advocates, coaches, physicians, and therapists.
We are thrilled to have these important resources that are Marin County focused and aligned with our local data. The booklets will guide you, your family, and our community through some of the most complicated moments of our children's lives and provide you with approaches to help your family thrive.
Together we can increase protective factors and decrease risk factors. Please, review the booklets and talk with your kids routinely, register for some of the upcoming discussions, inform yourself, and consider joining the West Marin Coalition for Healthy Youth. Click here to learn how you can participate.
QUICK LINKS TO BOOKLETS AND RESOURCES:
Join with other parents and caregivers in a deeper dive into the six sections of the Let’s Talk booklets with guest facilitators and topic experts. All discussions are online and registration is free. Click here to learn more or choose from the topics below and register now.
MENTAL HEALTH AND UNDERAGE SUBSTANCE USE
February 2, 2022
Time: 7 PM
LINK TO REGISTER
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Marin 9 to 25 is an action-oriented collective of Marin County youth and adults dedicated to realizing positive and equitable outcomes for youth age 9 to 25. Marin 9 to 25’s aim is to ensure that all young people in Marin County can meet their physical, mental, and social health needs.
WMCS-Youth Services Program has been part of Marin 9 to 25 since its inception in June 2021. Our West Marin-focused programs communicate and coordinate with key partners county-wide, contributing to a collective impact approach that supports youth, young adults, and families in Marin County. We invite you to learn more and join us as we continue to advocate for West Marin Youth. Your relationship with your community can increase wellness for youth.
Do you know someone aged 9 to 25 who would like to get involved? Would YOU like to get involved? Marin 9 to 25 Steering Committee meetings are held quarterly and are open to all. The next meeting is scheduled for September 3rd, 4:00-5:00pm. Recruitment is still underway for Steering Committee members. The vision is for the Steering Committee membership to be 50% youth ages 9 to 25. Marin 9 to 25 Working Groups also meet routinely and are open to all. We thank you for valuing the lives of youth and families in our West Marin communities!
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Join the Youth Center's
GreenTeam Project
Annual Roadside Cleanup
September 18, 2021, 8 AM - 12 PM
Our Youth Center-Green Team Project will resume its participation in the annual Litter Bugs Me campaign. For over 20 years, in an effort to clean up the watershed before the winter rains, the EAC has been encouraging groups to join as Team Up to Clean Up crews by adopting a West Marin roadside to clean between September 13 - 18, 2021.
For the past 11 years, the Youth Center Green Team Project has participated in the annual roadside cleanup by cleaning up Mesa Road and business parking lots to help our community manage pollution.
We hope you will join us.
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West Marin Community Services-Youth Services Program works with the West Marin Food Systems working group and Innovative Health Solutions to advance our values-based work that supports School-Based Wellness Policies and Meal Programs, Community Meal and School Meal Environments, Food and Drink around Schools, School Gardens, Nutrition Education, Physical Education, Physical Activity and Parent and Family Involvement. We are grateful to have thought partners and leaders with the expertise to help guide and support our work.
Our next West Marin Food Systems working group meeting will be held online on September 28th from noon to 1:30 PM. We'd like you to join us!
Together, we hope to strengthen our food systems that network with schools and community partners in the West Marin landscape so we can provide access to the resources and services that improve the health and wellness outcomes for underserved and vulnerable families in our West Marin communities. Want to get involved? Click here to participate in our meeting on September 28th at noon.
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Tomato-Green Bean Salad With Chickpeas, Feta and Dill
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By David Tanis
This is a perfect salad for summer, when the market is chockablock with great produce. Use whatever tomatoes are sweetest, and feel free to add yellow wax beans or romano beans in addition to green beans. If your market has fresh shelling beans, use those instead of chickpeas. Plan ahead to soak dried chickpeas overnight. With a soak, they only take an hour to cook, and taste better than canned ones.
YIELD: 4 servings
TIME: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¾ pound green beans, preferably slender haricots verts, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 small lemon
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, mixed colors, halved
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas (from 1 cup dried chickpeas or 1 15-ounce can), cooled and drained
- 4 ounces feta, crumbled (1/2 cup)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons roughly chopped dill, for serving
- Pinch of dried oregano, for serving
PREPARATION
- Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt, then the green beans. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer beans to a large bowl of cold water. Drain in a colander and blot green beans dry with a kitchen towel.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, put lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, a pinch of salt, and some black pepper to taste. Whisk in olive oil.
- Make the salad: Add cherry tomatoes, green beans, and chickpeas to a large salad bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Add dressing and toss to coat. Add feta and toss once more. Let marinate for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- To serve, sprinkle generously with dill and oregano.
Recipe and photo from the NYT. Photo credit: David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Help Us Grow: Donate Today
We look forward to strengthening our capacity to produce a robust Youth Services Program that can bridge gaps and fill unmet needs in Point Reyes Station and the coastal zone. We invite you to contribute to our "Future Fund" held by the West Marin Fund to keep our program growing. Please see the donations page on our website. Your support strengthens our community and helps our youth, young adults, and families thrive for generations to come. Thank you.
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