FFSC's 5th Annual Gift of Giving

...and the holiday season is among us! While Foundation for Second Chances wishes you and your loved ones a safe and happy Thanksgiving, we're also gearing up for our  5th Annual Gift of Giving event, and would love for you to join our holiday team!

This Christmas, FFSC is inviting 150 underprivileged children and their families to join us for a day of fun, a delicious feast, and free gifts to brighten up the season. While many of us may think of Christmas as a pleasant time to spend with family and friends, to celebrate the birth of Christ, to enjoy good food, and to exchange gifts, Christmas can be a discouraging and strenuous time for many of the families within FFSC's community.

Many of our families cannot afford to give their children Christmas gifts, nor can they afford to share a nice holiday meal together. The Gift of Giving helps brighten the holiday season by hosting this FREE event along with the generosity of people like you.

Ways You Can Help:
 1. Volunteer the day-of at the event
 2. Host a toy drive at your work/school/church/group/holiday party
 3. Personally donate unwrapped gifts for youth, ages 4-14
 4. Make a monetary donation
 5. Make food donations
 6. Inquire about donating cooking or arts and crafts supplies
 7. Have your group create and host a game or craft station for children
 8. Ask your company to consider our sponsorship opportunities
 9. Tell your friends and family to join us for this wonderful event!

Interested in getting involved or making a donation? Contact Volunteer Event Coordinator, Michelle Woo (mwoo17@yahoo.com). For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Associate Director, Fatima Nelson (fatima@ffscinc.org).

View more photos of last year's Gift of Giving.

Happy 1-Year Anniversary to Our Mentoring Couples!

On Sunday, November 21st, Second Chances Mentoring Program held a Closure Celebration for mentoring couples who recently reached the end of their year together. Lots of laughs were shared during our Mentorship Pictionary & Charades, and lots of great food was enjoyed at Acapulco's Sunday brunch! At the heart of the event, mentors and mentees reflected on their year in SCMP by creating and sharing art projects featuring photographs, hand-drawn pictures of their favorite outing, and wishes they have for their new friend.

Kelly shares with her mentee, Erica, her favorite outing together ice skating in Pershing Square, where Erica helped Kelly from falling!

Myesha shares with her mentor, Ana, how she loves how she is always there for her.

While mentors from this round completed their first year, two-thirds are continuing on in their mentoring relationships for a second year with Second Chances. It has been an incredible year for all of our mentors and mentees, and we are so grateful for our mentors' time and talents and so proud of the tremendous growth in our youth! Without our incredible volunteers, SCMP would simply not exist, so to you we are always indebted. Thank you.

Ana Flores & Myesha N.

Anthony McDaniel & Erron W.

Blanca Torres & Eddeshia C.

D'Aundra Hawkins & Chelsea D.

Jeff Shaivitz & William D.

Kelly O'Hara & Erica L.

Nichole Millard & Marielle B.

 

Thank you also to the management and staff at Acapulco, for making this a memorable experience for our mentoring couples and for always being supportive of our program!

SCMP Gears Up for Thanksgiving

On Saturday, November 13, SCMP hosted its group outing at the Japanese American National Museum, participating in the museum's Target Free Saturdays! The second Saturday of every month, Target sponsors a FREE event full of great activities for children and families as well as free admission to the museum's exhibits. This month's theme was Thanksgiving, and our mentoring couples were treated to a full day of crafts to take home and share with their families.

Mentees and mentors constructed origami turkeys, pine cone centerpieces, woven place mats and journals, and turkeys made of plastic cups that could really gobble!

Our deepest thanks go out to the Japanese American National Museum for putting on an incredible event that our mentors and mentees really enjoyed. For more information on the museum's Target Free Family Saturdays, visit their schedule here!

New Non-Profit to Benefit Mentoring Programs

We Get To Give aims to create a program for caring adult volunteers who mentor at-risk and high-risk youth in the Los Angeles area that will allow mentor-mentee pairs to experience events and activities that might otherwise be too expensive for mentors to fund.

We Get To Give is currently in the running for a $5,000 Pepsi Refresh grant that would  incorporate and establish their 501c3 status, solidify the participation of businesses and mentoring organizations, and create ID cards to launch the first year of the program. But in order to receive funding, they need your help! You can vote everyday through November 30 at the link below to help launch this incredible discount program for mentors and their mentees:

http://www.refresheverything.com/wegettogive

Foundation for Second Chances Mentoring and other community-based mentoring programs serving Los Angeles would benefit from the We Get To Give program, helping to ensure that mentors provide opportunities for their mentee to explore Los Angeles outside their usual neighborhoods while still developing and maintaining quality relationships

 FFSC Mentoring is proud to support We Get To Give in their mission, and wish them the best of luck in the competition!

FFSC Mentoring Now Accepting Mentor Applications!

 

Foundation for Second Chances Mentoring is now accepting Mentor Applications! FFSC Mentoring provides a unique opportunity for caring adult volunteers to befriend children with incarcerated parents in the Los Angeles community. Our mentors come from all different backgrounds, professions, and experiences, but all of them have the desire to invest their time and heart into our youth.

Mentors and mentees participate in a special matching process through our group Kick Off events. Mentors and mentees meet for the first time at our Mentor Mash Up, getting to know each other through relay races, icebreakers, and team building activities! Two weeks later, everyone pairs off for each of our 3 rounds of Speed Mentoring at Chuck E. Cheese. Mentors and mentees then fill out individual match surveys, choosing who they feel is their best match!

After finding each other, mentors and mentees commit to their mentoring relationship for 1 year, only 6-8 hours per month. Mentors and mentees embark on one-on-one outings of their choosing and at the times best for them, and mentors may also help mentees keep a connection with their incarcerated parent. FFSC Mentoring also hosts optional but fun monthly group outings to bring the mentoring family together! These outings are a great opportunity for mentees to foster relationships with other youth and adults, as well as a great way for mentors to network with other mentors.

Our next round will be launching in March 2011, with Mentor Orientation & Training Sessions starting in January 2011. Don't wait until the last-minute--get the application process started this month! For more information regarding FFSC Mentoring and the application, please contact Program Manager Laura Petry at laura@ffscinc.org OR by phone at (213) 627-1745. You can also fill out a brief intake survey HERE.

A Second Cup for a Second Chance Wine Tasting!

Foundation for Second Chances introduces its 1st Annual Wine Tasting, showcasing some of California's premiere wineries in an elegant atmosphere, all as a part of an ongoing effort to celebrate supporting our youth! The event will not only provide guests an opportunity to experience spectacular wines, but will also allow for the privilege of taking in featured samplings from local restaurants, live performances, participation in silent auctions and raffles, and giving back to the youth of our South Los Angeles community.

So come join us on Wednesday, November 10th from 7 PM - 9 PM at the Los Angeles Art Association Gallery 825! Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door; all proceeds from the event will benefit FFSC's Mentor Program, Reading Wheels Literacy Program, After School Program, and Community Service Initiatives for youth and families in South Los Angeles. You can purchase tickets at our website.

For more information on the event (including sponsorship opportunities!), contact Associate Director Fatima Nelson, at fatima@ffscinc.org, or (213) 627-1745.

SCMP Gets Its Science On, From L.A. to Outer Space!

On Saturday, September 18, Second Chances Mentoring Program hosted its monthly outing at the California Science Center in downtown Los Angeles!

Matt and Eli prepare to be transported through space by IMAX Hubble 3D!

Mentors and mentees started the day being transported into space with the IMAX Hubble 3D, joining astronauts on their daunting task of repairing the legendary Hubble Telescope, and exploring our universe.

Afterward, mentoring couples headed straight to the Science Center's newest exhibit gallery, ECOSYSTEMS! Eight different zones transported our mentors and mentees through Forests, Islands, Deserts, Poles, and even the Urban Zone of our hometown with hands-on activities, interactive displays, and even a live aquarium.

Second Chances After School Program Welcomes the 2010-2011 School Year!

Program Manager Lily Yu plays tic-tac-toe with one of our kindergartners

Monday, September 13th marked the first day of school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, and Second Chances was there to help launch students at 42nd Street Elementary into a brand new school year! 42nd Street Elementary School not only welcomed new students, but a new principal in Ms. Pittman-Ridgeway, and Second Chances looks forward to building and continuing great relationships with students, teachers, and staff.

Foundation for Second Chances also welcomes its new After School Program Manager, Lily Yu, with open arms! Lily is a UCLA graduate and substitute teacher with over 3 years of after school programming experience, and we can't wait for all the new and exciting plans she has in store for our kids.

In light of these new additions to our family, we are still extremely indebted to and thankful for the groundwork laid by 42nd Street Elementary School's former principal, Dr. Davis, and Second Chances After School Program's former manager, Jason Jones. We wish Dr. Davis the best of luck at her new school, and hope that Mr. Jones will still come visit us!

Come join us for an incredible school year by becoming a volunteer! Be a tutor, workshop leader, or even just a friend to our amazing kids. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Associate Director, Fatima Nelson, at fatima@ffscinc.org.

SCMP Goes for a Dip in the Pool!

On Saturday, August 28th, Second Chances mentor Jennifer Moran graciously hosted this month's group outing at her condominium complex's clubhouse and pool! Mentors and mentees came armed with swimsuits, potluck dishes, and plenty of energy.

While most of the day was spent making cannonballs, playing tag variations, and teaching mentees how to properly float in the water, we made plenty of time to eat a lot of great food, dabble in some arts and crafts, and decorate some delicious cupcakes!

Thanks so much to our mentor, Jenn, for making this without a doubt one of our favorite outings yet!

Tavis Smiley and Second Chances Beautify New Designs!

On August 22nd, 2010, approximately 150 students, ages 13-18, representing the Tavis Smiley Foundation's Youth to Leaders program worked in partnership with Foundation for Second Chances to continue the agency's efforts to transform the campus of New Designs Charter School.

These students, hailing from all over the U.S., experienced a week-long Leadership Institute at the UCLA campus in order to empower them with essential skills to become effective leaders in impacting community change. After a series of workshops and exercises, this group of dynamic teens put theory into practice when they arrived at New Designs Charter School in downtown Los Angeles.

Students cycled through three stations, including planting a flower garden and rolling out new grass, reviving a dull hallway with beautiful new colors, and creating art in a poetry workshop led by spoken word artist Andre Ruiz. Some students were (literally) getting their hands dirty for the first time, but all were inspired to put ideas into action and make visions into reality.

Foundation for Second Chances is grateful to the Tavis Smiley Foundation for the opportunity to work with such a talented and passionate group of youth in serving the South Los Angeles community. We also extend our greatest thanks for the Tavis Smiley Foundation's sponsorship of one of Second Chances' own students in attending the leadership conference.

Below, find a selection of pictures from the day's activities! You can view the full gallery of the beautification project HERE and pictures from all aspects of the Institute HERE.

Mentor Mash Up at La Cienega Park!

It was a beautiful Saturday morning on July 31st at La Cienega Park in Beverly Hills, where Second Chances Mentoring Program launched its second round of 2010! From the Name Game to the Final Relay Race, teams got to know one another and work together in order to send their Mummies through the finish line, morph themselves into Rocks and Caterpillars, tie balloons in a line with one hand, and share a piece of themselves while munching on M&M's.

SCMP Kick Off Highlights








Hall of Fame

Mentors and mentees will meet one last time before finally being matched! We can't wait to see all of you at Chuck E. Cheese next Saturday, August 14th for our Speed Mentoring event!

PS I Love You Foundation's Annual Day at the Beach!

On Saturday, July 24th, Second Chances Mentoring Program attended PS I Love You Foundation's 10th Annual Day at the Beach! This special mentoring event was a blast for our mentors and mentees to attend, and Second Chances is grateful for being able to participate for its second year in a row.

Kids received free beach gear (including boogie boards!), toys, and a pizza-and-ice-cream lunch! Free surf lessons, face painting, game booths, and--of course--the most epic relay race were among the activities for the day. Our group did it all and then some, building sandcastles, playing in the water, and catching some rays on a beautiful day in Manhattan Beach.

Second Chances definitely can't wait until next July, when we hope to participate in this fantastic event once again! Special thanks to Tess Johnson and Patricia Jones for putting on such an awesome program for at-risk youth in Los Angeles.

Aon United at New Designs Charter

“Don’t underestimate your talent and effort because a little is much. A little bit of help, even in one day, goes a long way.” – Janice, Aon (Los Angeles) Executive Assistant

“My favorite part was taking the group photo of Aon workers because I was really surprised by all the support from the employees." – Sheryl Marx, Aon (Irvine) Executive Assistant and Second Chances Mentor


Community empowerment and resilience don't stop at anything -- even when it's a scorching 99 degrees outside. The 77 Aon employees who checked in at New Designs Charter School on Thursday, July 15, are a living testament to that. Within just seven hours, Aon employees resurrected New Designs Charter School with a new mural, vegetable and flower gardens, new seating areas, pristine hallways, and freshly painted walls.

Before the inception of New Designs Charter School, the campus was a stomping ground for retired nuns. As you can imagine, re-landscaping the campus was direly needed. So instead of spending a day in the office, the Aon employees volunteered their time and effort into creating a comfortable school environment for 200 students.

So how is it that Aon, the world's leading risk advisor and human capital consultant, partnered with Foundation for Second Chances? This year marks the beginning of Aon's global charity initiative, which is a vital fraction of their sponsorship with Manchester United. All of the Aon branches in over 120 countries called for an international day of action on Thursday, July 15 to bring their wealth of knowledge, finance, and philanthropy into the community level.

Compassionate Aon employees were untied throughout the globe under Aon United Day, and brought positive change into their local communities. For instance, in Sacramento, Aon employees partnered with Project 680 to provide hygiene supplies to homeless youth. In the Netherlands, Aon employees participated in a charity bike ride and raised funds for youth sports programs in disadvantaged areas.

In Los Angeles, the beautification project was more than what FFSC expected. Aon employees did not hesitate to get down and dirty to get the job done, in addition to donating $500 worth of sports equipment to New Designs and a $5,000 check to the Second Chances Mentoring Program!

The great work done at New Designs will have a long-lasting effect on both students and the Second Chances community. Aon employees also left with an impression that community involvement is at the forefront of social change. There is a lot more work to be done, and it is only our hands that bring exact change.

--Menchie Caliboso, PR/Marketing Intern