pdf - Faith Network of the East Bay

FAITH NETWORK NEWSLETTER
Networking community support for urban public schools.
SEPTEMBER 2014
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
School’s back in session
and so are Faith Network’s
programs! Now is your
chance to get involved!
Just an hour or two a week
makes a huge impact!
Volunteers are needed for:
• Literacy Tutoring
• STEM Lab Assistance
• Math Tutoring
• Computer Technology
• Library Assistance
• Food Bagging
No experience required;
our staff will provide
excellent training!
Contact Varetta Mayes,
Director of Volunteers for
more information:
Varetta@Faith-Network.com
or 510-836-5100.
TUTOR TRAINING
Celebrating Summer Interns
On Saturday, August 2, 2014, Faith Network hosted its first Internship Reception to
celebrate the completion of its Summer Internship and Mentorship Programs.
Intern presentations and entrepreneur exhibits were displayed throughout the
atrium. Mentors, employers, families and friends were present to support the interns.
Entrepreneurship students prepared samplings of their products: chicken wings,
delicious cupcakes, floral headbands, and a T-Shirt display of original designs. Thus,
officially launching their entrepreneurial businesses.
Their supervisor and mentor Mr. Bo Ghirardelli, founder of Greenside Development,
Inc., provided supervision and mentorship to the Entrepreneur Interns: Arin Nicholson
(Arin’s Catering), Khristan Antoine (Dope Creationz), Darlisha McGlothen (D’s
Sweeties), Jonae Scott and Angela Lee (Nova’s Headbands).
2014 INTERNSHIP POSITIONS: Haight Elementary School (1), Prescott Elementary
School (2), Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School (5), Caltrans – Bay Bridge
Project (1), Stanford University (1), BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) (5), and identified 4
positions for other OUSD students
The Interns presented an overview of their work experience and expressed heartfelt
thanks to their supervisors, employers, Faith Network staff and Board members.
Faith Network would like to thank our community partners who helped make this
program a success: Oakland Unified School District Alternatives in Action, and the
Oakland Branch of The United Way.
Interested in Literacy
Tutoring? Join us for a
Training Session at the Faith
Network Office:
Saturday, Sept. 20
9:00 - 11:30 AM
OR
Saturday, Oct. 4
9:00 - 11:30 AM
Contact Rebecca Buckley,
Director of Succeeding by
Reading, for more
information: 510-836-5100 or
Rebecca@Faith-Network.com
Faith Network of the East Bay is a non-profit, 501 (c) 3
Tax ID #94-3403801
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Celebrating Norman Brooks
Mr. Brooks was the one who introduced our Board Chair Jon Blankmeyer
and me to our first school, Burbank Elementary, where he had been a science
teacher. It was an historic day: September 13, 2001.
Fast forward to 2006. I had paid a visit to Mission Springs Conference Center
in the Santa Cruz Mountains and learned about their 3-day Mission Springs
Outdoor Science Education (MSOE) Camp. The next day I called Mr. Brooks
to tell him about MSOE and popped the question: “would you be interested in
helping to build a program for getting Oakland students out of the city for a rich
environmental education camping experience?” Without skipping a beat he
exclaimed, “Oh Randy, yes! It’s what I’ve always wanted for our Oakland children!”
RANDY ROTH
SPECIAL THANKS!
Thank you to our
wonderful Literacy
Tutors, Mentors,
Science Volunteers,
and Library Assistants
who volunteered this
summer! A special
thank you as well to
our Summer Partners!
A few months later, Norman Brooks joined the Faith Network staff as Director of
Outdoor Environmental Education Programs, which later grew to became Science
Horizons. He’s been an inspiring mentor to hundreds of East Bay students,
including their teachers and principals, and
he’ll go down in history for his creepin’ crawlin’
bug collection!
“Stormin’ Norman,” you are dearly appreciated
by your staff colleagues and our board of
directors. We all join together to congratulate
you for your eight years of service as founder
and director of Faith Network’s Science
Horizons program. The best is yet to come…
Blessings,
We appreciate you!
Summer Camp - A Place to Build Character
STAFF
Randy Roth, President
Succeeding by Reading
Rebecca Buckley, Program
Director
Merle Miller, Program
Coordinator
Gwen Stephens, Program
Coordinator
Kim Farnham-Flom, Director of
Library Services
Science Horizons
Margena Wade, Program Director
Michelle Hutcherson, Assistant
Director
Health4Kids
Charlotte Martinez, Program
Director
Varetta Mayes, Director of
Volunteers
Chelsea Boniak, Director of
Development
Bekah Smith, Office Administrator
© 2013 Faith Network of the East Bay, Inc.
By Varetta Mayes, Director of Volunteers
Summer camp gives children the opportunity to be exposed to the best of human
character. As a chaperone, I observed the seekers and the loners. Those seeking
to be heard and those wanting to be by themselves. I watched and listened as the
campers expressed their views of the latest Beyonce song. As the beat went on, the
loners observed and listened.
We reached camp and students unloaded from the bus and joined together with
counselors. The carefully selected counselors teamed up with their assigned student
and here the bonding began. They showed them how to make new friends and how
to learn from each other. Camp allows kids to meet people from every race and
culture. It’s an opportunity for them to practice being the best they can be.
As the week ended and students
returned home on the bus, I
noticed only seekers. Everyone
wanted to be heard. As students
were picked up by their parents,
they waited until their friends’
parent arrived before leaving. As
the saying goes, “At the end of
the day you choose how to treat
others.”
Summer camp brings out the best in our children. Thanks to Today’s Youth Matter
for making this happen.
Faith Network of the East Bay, Inc. | 2633 Telegraph Ave. #409 | Oakland, CA 94612
510.836.5100 Office | 510.836.5105 Fax | info@faith-network.com | www.faith-network.com