Stories A blog from Sun Valley Youth Center http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/ Win a 2012 Ford Mustang! Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/win-a-2012-ford-mustang http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/win-a-2012-ford-mustang Concerts for Kids is hosting a game of skill titled, "A Million for What Matters". The Sun Valley Youth Center is selling tickets for this game in which buyers must guess the total weight of the band, "Air Dubai" and all their instruments in the above photograph to the hundredth of a pound. The tickets cost $10 each and all proceeds from the tickets that the SVYC sells are returned to us! The winner of the game will be announced at their Annual Denver Day of Rock event on May 26 in Downtown Denver and will win a 2012 Ford Mustang provided by Sill-TerHar Motors! The winning ticket must be present to win.

GAME ENDS ON APRIL 30, GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!

If you are interested in purchasing a ticket and supporting the SVYC through this game, please contact kris@sunvalleyyouthcenter.com or april@sunvalleyyouthcenter.com for more information.

 

]]> Enshin Karate Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/enshin-karate http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/enshin-karate The partnership with Enshin Karate began almost 2 years ago in the backyard of the Sun Valley Youth Center.  Sensei Dave and his esteemed help Diana headed over to sun valley to work on basic kicks and punches all summer long.  At the end of the summer we decided to try taking the kids to the Dojo, where we have been meeting Monday and Friday each week.  We currently transport over 20 youth from Sun Valley to the Dojo for classes.

In October we attended the Denver competition where we came back again with smiles and tropheys. 

This spring we have had some Belt Color Changes!  After over a year of Karate, our kiddos are moving up in the ranks and working hard to move up in thier technical skills as well as thier word skills! Congratulations kiddos, we are so proud of you!  Thank you Enshin for your generous support to the Sun Valley Youth Center!

If you are interrested in sponsoring the monthly fees for the kids please click the donate button above!  The fees are $10.00 per month per child.  This is a $55.00 scholarship per month for each child!

]]> Meet Jocelin Fri, 02 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/meet-jocelin http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/meet-jocelin Hi my name is Jocelin Espinoza. I have been part of the Sun Valley Youth Center since I was ten years old and throughout the years the Sun Valley Youth Center has helped me in many ways. The first thing that the Sun Valley Youth Center has helped me with is school with the after school tutoring, through their help and support I have been able to achieve many great things academically. Along with the  tutoring they also helped us with school supplies, provided computers and printers so that we can do our homework, books to improve our reading levels, and with many other things.  As a matter of fact I will be finishing my student internship on December 19, 2011. I will be a medical assistant and come the fall of 2012 I will be returning to school to get my Bachelors of Science in Nursing, I want to be a registered nurse. The Sun Valley Youth Center has also helped me become a leader when I was 13 years of age I helped lead a grant to start a group called Trash Busters, which consists of the kids in the Sun Valley Youth Center going out into the community and helping pick up trash so that our home looks nice and not all “ghetto”. I dictated a speech that was three pages long all through memory without looking down at the sheets of paper once and the executives who I was speaking to were very impressed with my performance. The grant was accepted and given to us. With the help of the church I have received medals, top honors recognitions, directors list awards, and kept a 4.0 GPA as well as straight A’s.

                  The Sun Valley Youth Center has also taught us life skills. They have taken us camping and taught us survival skills. We have also been taken on educational field trips such as the zoo and museums. The Sun Valley Youth Center has also participated in fundraisers and taught us all who are a part of it that through hard work, dedication, time, effort, and perseverance we can achieve anything if we put our minds to it. For the older youth we have gotten help on resumes, how to apply for jobs, and how to look professional. We also receive help with high school things and for me I even get help with college courses. I believe that a person is never too old to receive help.

                  The Sun Valley Youth Center isn’t a day care program, it is a family home. Yeah, we might fight, annoy each other, disagree with each other, and not always be on the same page but when it comes down to helping each other out we overlook our differences and join as one big family. Kris, our executive director, is an amazing individual when holidays come she goes out of her way to get donations and gifts. Thanks giving just passed and Kris gave us all food baskets that included some pretty huge turkeys and other food. Christmas is coming up and Kris is making sure that every family especially the kids have something nice from warm clothing to gifts. Being part of the Sun Valley Youth Center truly goes beyond business we are one big family. The center has gone out of their way and helped so many families. For my family the biggest thing that I will always cherish deeply in my heart forever is when my grandmother passed away my mom’s car broke down and Kris being the huge hearted person that she is; she went and got a car donated for my family so that my mom could get to work and get my little sister and I to school. I will never forget that. Thank you all so much. The greatest thing about the Sun Valley Youth Center is that it helps keeps kids off the streets. If it wasn’t for them I don’t know where we would all be right now, especially the older youth we have finished the whole 12 yards elementary, middle school, and high school. Our journey is still not over yet we have to finish college. If it wasn’t for the Youth Center some us might be in gangs, associating with the wrong crowd, pregnant, dropped out of school, and many other unsuccessful things you can imagine, but thanks to the Sun Valley Youth Center all of us kids have a fighting chance to become someone great in life.

 

                  As I grow older I will always be a part of the Sun Valley Youth Center and never be too old to receive their help and support, my inner child will always be with them. I am grateful that the Sun Valley Youth Center has helped us all. I hope that one day it can expand to bigger and greater things.

]]> Field of Dreams Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/field-of-dreams http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/field-of-dreams Elvis Dumervil of the Broncos bringing kids to a field of dreams
http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_18932785
]]> Kickin' It for Sun Valley Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/kickin-it-for-sun-valley http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/kickin-it-for-sun-valley Over 200 people from the Denver-Metro area gathered at City Park to play in 1st Annual Kicking It for Sun
Valley.  Friends, family members and supporters of the Sun Valley Youth Center came out to play in this fun event, giving the tournament sixteen teams to compete for the Kicking It for Sun Valley trophy.  

The day began with all sixteen teams playing on the fields of City Park located just north of the Denver
Museum of Nature and Science.  As lunch rolled around, the single eliminations style tournament was down to only eight teams. Dice. Kickball, swept the tournament with their competitive yet humble kickball skills and took home the first place trophy. A tie for 3rd place went to the energetic team from Charles Schwab, “Better than Mike” along with “Team Kolleen”. The consolation bracket also ended with a tie. Frank Milinanzzo’s team, “Good Fellas” and a strong team from Red Rocks Community Church decided on a tie for 5th place after several solid innings of zero runs. Both teams displayed solid defense! With everyone’s help and support, SVYC raised just over $7,000! Thank you to everyone who played and donationed resources. It was a great way to celebrate the amazing things that are happening at SVYC and the end of summer Be sure to come out next year!

]]> Meet Cierre Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/meet-cierre http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/meet-cierre Meet Cierre, a life changed by Sun Valley Youth Center

Cierre Lucero started with us at Sun Valley Youth Center when she was six years old. She is now 18 and preparing for college.  Here is her story, written in her own words.

 

The time I spent at Sun Valley was the time of my life. I met people I'll never forget and got memories that
are priceless. I started at Sun Valley
when I was about six.

 

Once I started Sun Valley,
it became my second home. As soon as school was over I went there. We got to do
things that if not for Sun Valley we
would have never been able to do. I got to go up to the mountains and camp for
the first time. Kris and the other staff all knew that our homework was really
difficult. If we needed help, it was provided.

 

Sun Valleyhelped
us to focus on school and keep our grades up. When coming from our
neighborhood, school isn't exactly a priority, so if we were failing a class or
had any behavior problems, the teachers would let Kris know. She and the other
staff expected more from us. They wanted us to succeed, and didn't let us ever
think we couldn't do something because of where we came from.

 

I'm actually graduating High School this year, and
hopefully attending either Western
State or Adams State
College next year. I'm tutoring students, and even cheerleading. When I
was younger and everyone stressed that where I came from didn't
matter, I didn't understand. I understand now. And, I am so grateful that I am
able to go back and visit Sun Valley and
see all of the new attendees. Sun Valley
is helping them the same way it did me.

]]> Journey to the Wild West…. AKA Steamboat Springs! Sat, 30 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/journey-to-the-wild-west-aka-steamboat-springs http://www.sunvalleyyouthcenter.org/journey-to-the-wild-west-aka-steamboat-springs This summer, Sun Valley Youth Center was blessed with the opportunity to take kids to Steamboat Springs, CO for a weekend filled with horseback riding, swimming, rodeos and Dairy Queen. For the past several years, the incredibly faithful and generous Concordia Lutheran Church not only welcomes us into their town, but they roll out the red carpet for our staff and kids. They take care of meals, lodging, activities and everything in between so all we have to do is enjoy the ride. This year, we stayed at a beautiful resort with a pool and hot tub. The kids loved it so much; we had a hard time getting them to wear anything but their swimming suits!

The kids do have to earn their trip to Steamboat Springs. Since many of our kids are below grade level in reading, they had to complete a certain number of reading hours each week depending on their age to go on the trip. This trip is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our kids, many of which have never been to the mountains before.

Concordia Lutheran Church, we are truly blessed by your generosity and love for the kids of Sun Valley Youth
Center!

More Photos

]]>