The highlight of my week with AHO was seeing the shirt of the young man, Jimmy Hayes, who was the inspiration for Zara founding AHO 20 years ago. The shirt was designed in his honor and although Jimmy is now 40, he is still volunteering his time to present with Zara, AHO’s founder, in schools around
Marin and at meetings and events in the community. I have yet to meet the legend himself but putting a (screen-printed) face to the name is a good step!
With the new month comes new opportunities for me to learn more about what AHO offers the community. In addition to helping at-risk youth thrive, AHO’s three-fold mission is to educate, inspire and move people to act on behalf of the forgotten, unhoused youth without families in Marin who need support.
My current projects include getting to meet and work with a youth who has started receiving AHO services. He is a motivated, curious, and capable 24-year-old without family support that I am excited to get to know. I’ll be meeting with him to work on his personal goals as well as connecting him to any resources and guidance he requests. I am very much looking forward to working directly with a transition aged youth again. Being able to provide direct and hands-on assistance is not only rewarding but I can share personal experiences from my time at that age as well, which helps to build trust and understanding from someone with personal experience.
With all the services and community partners that AHO has through its 185-member Alliance for Youth service partner network of professionals, businesses, faith communities, organizations, and individuals, who provide their expertise and time pro bono, I feel well-equipped to help. Although housing and dental
care, are the two most requested resources, AHO offers resources other nonprofit don’t provide: car repairs, P.O. Box, cell phones, trauma therapy, peer mentors and a community of youth who design youth-led projects for AHO’s Youth Leadership Team. AHO’s foundation of personalized and comprehensive whole-person support helps a young person to build autonomy and agency to reach their educational and life goals to begin to create a future with hope, purpose and meaning.
In addition, I am continuing to create a list of alternative high schools to reach out to for future meetings and presentations. Also, I am designing a poster that highlights the key points of AHO’s work and services that can be easily handed out to folks for future events. All this while trying not to melt in this July heat!
Summer is in full swing and so is AHO.
Cheers to summer projects,
Kayla