This week, The San Diego Foundation received $13.8 million from local philanthropist Guy C. Clum to make preschool financially accessible to more San Diego families. SAY San Diego is thrilled to be one of four organizations selected for the initial phase of grant-making and received $500,000 to launch a workplace-based early childhood center, set to open in early 2019, at its new office in Kearny Mesa. The center will provide an important early childhood education advantage to children ages 5 weeks through 5 years. The center will also be a model for local employers, to inform and encourage them to develop child-care centers at their own workplaces. The center and workplace child care project are key parts of SAY San Diego’s commitment to improve child development outcomes and strengthen families. “This generous grant enables SAY San Diego to take a truly exciting step, which directly translates into life-changing opportunities and greater educational equity for more San Diego children and families,” says Nancy Gannon Hornberger, SAY San Diego CEO. “We are honored by this wonderful gift, and Mr. Clum’s leadership.”

CLICK HERE to read more from the San Diego Union Tribune.

CLICK HERE to read more from Philanthropy News Digest

SAY San Diego is pleased to partner with the San Diego Police Department to host open houses for the crime-free multi-family housing program. Crime-free multi-housing brings a hands-on, collaborative approach to reduce crime, drugs, and gangs in apartment communities. SAY San Diego facilitates the engagement of residents and property managers in training and information sessions designed to help them be more aware and proactive in preventing crime.

Click here for ABC 10 News story
Click here for KUSI News story

Concerns about vaping are on the rise as manufacturers appear to be marketing to children and teens with packaging that mimics candy, treats and juice boxes. Vape shops continue to open in close proximity to schools as well. It’s estimated that 11 percent of all American high school students are using e-cigarettes. Staff from SAY San Diego’s Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Prevention Program spoke to CBS News 8 and the San Diego Reader about this trend.

Click here for CBS News 8 story
Click here for San Diego Reader story

From San Diego Union Tribune
By James Hebert

• Intrepid Theatre is taking its performance project about San Diego refugee students on a tour that the company hopes will reach 20 area schools this year.
• The project, “Exiled Voices,” originally told the stories of 13 young refugees, as interpreted by a variety of local songwriters, choreographers and other artists.
• The touring version, which launched recently in Chula Vista, is a streamlined version that has a couple of the artists performing and talking about their works.
• Intrepid is also now in the early stages of developing a new project about the “DREAMERers,” in partnership with SAY San Diego.

One year ago, the stories of 13 young refugees from around the world played out on the stage of downtown’s Horton Grand Theatre via dance, spoken word, song and other original creative works.

In the time since Intrepid Theatre premiered “Exiled Voices: The Refugee Art Project,” a number of those works’ subjects — who were all Crawford High School students at the time — have graduated or moved away from San Diego.

But their struggles and triumphs continue to reverberate — this time on a whole new series of stages.

Click here to read the full article

Clinic Gets $2.6M Grant to Fight Smoking

From San Diego Union Tribune
By Linda McIntosh

The Vista Community Clinic received a $2.6 million grant to bolster its efforts to fight tobacco-related disease among area Hispanic and Latino residents in North County and in neighboring Orange County.

The five-year grant from the California Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Control Program is slated to support the nonprofit clinic in its efforts to promote programs that help community members stop smoking and activities that discourage youths from smoking.

The funds are also earmarked for programs that educate the community about the dangers of secondhand smoke and how to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in places such as apartment complexes and trade schools. As part of the pilot project, clinic staff will receive training to help them educate the public on ways they can improve their health by quitting smoking.

The project is slated to include California Smokers’ Helpline materials and services.

The clinic is partnering with two other nonprofits on the project: SAY (Social Advocates for Youth) San Diego and America on Track based in Santa Ana, which provides resources and mentors for disadvantaged families.

The Vista Community Clinic operates out of seven locations in Vista and Oceanside, serving more than 57,000 North County residents. The clinic also runs two facilities in Riverside and Orange counties. Many of its community health education programs are free and open to all community members.

From the La Jolla Light
By Ashley Mackin-Solomon

The second Legacy Grant, collected from Legacy Society members who have included the Las Patronas Endowment Fund in their planned giving, went to Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) San Diego. The $3,832 will help the organization purchase 10 laptops to assist in tax preparation services.

“A question that comes up often is why a youth organization has a tax assistance program?” said SAY San Diego CEO Nancy Gannon Hornberger. “When we see youth struggling because they do not have school supplies, their shoes don’t fit or they have a dental need that goes unattended, we ask how we can enrich them by empowering their families. For 20 years, we’ve been part of an Earned Income Tax Credit collaborative that provides tax assistance to families that are trying to make ends meet. They are working hard and that $25 or $50 extra a month could mean another bag of groceries or school supplies.

“These 10 laptops help us come into the modern era to work with more families go where people live. Last year, we reached 1,000 families, and this year, we expect to reach many hundreds more.”

Read the complete article

By Robert Hall, Media Specialist at SAY San Diego North City Prevention Coalition

Student projects took center stage at a Town Hall meeting at Clairemont High, focusing on how different substances affect the person using them and the community at large. “From Sugar to Heroin – Substance Use in Our Community” was a fall semester project at the school’s Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. The students’ findings were expressed with graphics displayed at the January 11^th Town Hall.

The Town Hall also featured a panel discussion about substance abuse. Panelists included law enforcement, a prosecutor, and treatment professionals. SAY San Diego’s William Perno talked with students about synthetic drugs like bath salts, spice, and fentanyl. He was also featured in a KPBS News story about the event.

SAY’s Mary Badiner also appeared in the KPBS story, talking with students about smoking issues ranging from secondhand smoke to California’s new marijuana laws.  Badiner works on the San Diego Smoke-Free Project.

Students from Kearny High’s School of Digital Media & Design worked with the Clairemont students to produce the displays and graphics used at the Town Hall.

Click here for the KPBS Story

SAY San Diego’s Outdoor Advocates program was recently mentioned in San Diego Magazine, in conjunction with The San Diego Foundation’s larger Opening the Outdoors initiative.

In partnership with the AjA Project, Healthy Planet USA, and with generous funding from The San Diego Foundation, SAY’s Outdoor Advocates empowers youth to address problems in their community through photography and storytelling. Students from Mid-City and Southeastern San Diego use photography to raise awareness and find solutions to create clean, safe outdoor environments.

San Diego Magazine Article

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Suzie Colby, Vice President of Resource Development, SAY San Diego
(858) 715-2412 desk, (858) 752-1081 mobile, suzie@saysandiego.org

SAY San Diego named Golf Tournament Beneficiary

ESCONDIDO, CA (June 28, 2017) – On Friday, August 18, 2017, the San Diego office of PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (“PwC”) will host its 2^nd annual charity golf tournament at

The Vineyard at Escondido, CA. The 4-man scramble tournament will begin at 8:30 am with a shotgun start. The registration fee includes a breakfast burrito and coffee, range balls, golf, shared cart, course contests, two drink coupons, and a BBQ lunch buffet. There will also be a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction, and a general raffle to win some great prizes donated by San Diego businesses and PwC.

Have you registered yet? There’s still time! Turn happy hour into a competitive lawn game tournament at Play 4 SAY! GET IN THE GAME and register today! Thank you to sponsors like 10news, Tosso.com, and Soda & Swine.

Get Involved Today!