On Saturday, December 15th, RYSE Center hosted our annual Full of Cheer: A “Feed the Family” Gathering where we provided free food, warm clothes, and direct services to children, youth, and their families.

This year’s attendance of 481 individuals, 313 of whom were youth and children, more than doubled last year’s numbers! Together, with volunteers comprised of RYSE youth members, community members and partners, and local businesses like Starbucks, we celebrated the holiday season, full of cheer.

Full of Cheer continues to grow and expand each year. This year, we hosted:

Santa’s Workshop featuring Santas of Color! Families took photos with Santa and children received goody bags and coloring books donated by Travis Credit Union
RYSE Hoodie and Beanie giveaway that were funded and distributed by our supporters from the Yale graduating class of 1993. Together, we gave away 400 warm hoodies, 200 winter beanies, water bottles, and T-shirts..
A bilingual Reading Corner with local children’s books illustrator and writer Robert Liu-Trujillo and Laurin Mayeno. Robert, Laurin, and even Santa himself, read titles including One of a kind, like me (Único, como yo), I am Sausal Creek (Soy el Arroyo Sausal), and Furqan’s First Flat Top. Copies of the children’s books were purchased using funds from our fundraiser at Pegasus Books on Solano Avenue.
- The fundraiser is still running, for folks who would like to support purchasing books for our youth! Just donate to our jar upon checkout.

Food for the whole family including hot chocolate, coffee, and other seasonal drinks from Sweet and Mellow Truck.

Eye exams and prescription glasses from Vision to Learn.
Art Activities including ornament-making and coloring books handmade by RYSE artists.
A Resource Fair featuring community partners and service providers including Lifelong Medical Care, CoCo Kids, Richmond Art Center, and Contra Costa Cares.
Bike Raffle featuring 7 bicycles for different ages, plus other raffle bundles donated from local Starbuck stores, and more.

RYSE hosts Full of Cheer: A “Feed the Family” Gathering every year, and all of the activities and services are free.

For more information on this event or other RYSE community events, please reach out at info[at]rysecenter[dot]org!

As 2018 comes to a close, please keep RYSE Center in mind for your year end giving.

We are grateful for the support of community members like you. Help us continue to provide free, high-quality programs and services so young people keep loving, learning, healing, dreaming, and transforming lives and communities.

Send us a year end gift

December at RYSE

This month, in addition to our daily programming at RYSE, our youth organizers attended a Youth Organizing California Steering Committee retreat in Fresno, where they participated in workshops covering topics including on Land, Water, and Resources, and on Mujerxs Poderosxas (Powerful Womxn) Organizing. When the youth organizers returned to RYSE, they participated workshops such as “Black Panther Party and Brown Berets: Meeting Community Needs, Building People Power” and “Racism : Gentrification.” They also participated in the second session of the School Climate series, where young organizers and adult allies work together to discuss, listen, and provide feedback on school climate issues.

Isaiah Grant, RYSE’s Video Production Assistant, was a youth panelist at the 8th Annual How Kids Learn, sharing on his journey and involvement with organizing. Participants learned from youth panelists on topics of mental health, climate change, racism, and ageism.

RYOT interns Marlen and Ann organized this year’s annual Liberation Dinner, “Liberating Our Souls,” a free event for RYSE members and young people ages 13-21. Marlen and Ann curated a youth performance and led RYSE members in team building exercises. This was the first event they took lead organizing on!

RYSE members visited Gameheads to learn about video game design and to test out new games themselves. Check out photos from this month’s activities with RYSE below!