New Corporate Partner: Atayne

Youth Against Poverty is excited to announce our newest Corporate Partnership with Atayne! Atayne is a sports and outdoor apparel business that is rooted in making a positive impact in the community. All of their products are made in the United States out of 100% recycled material. Atayne also focuses on worker safety by not utilizing harmful chemicals in their manufacturing process. This Certified B Corporation sells active gear for men and women as well as custom products for specific events. We are looking forward to featuring social good company Atayne clothing in our pop-up charity store this August. Youth Against Poverty encourages all of our supporters to visit their website, https://www.atayne.com/

YAP Board Meeting Today

Youth Against Poverty's Executive Board met today to discuss the upcoming pop-up store this August. Our agenda included developing a new logo, seeking more corporate partnerships and improving the upcoming store. Our goal with every new project is to build off of benefits in the past. For example, we thought that having more incentives and appeal to windowshoppers would be a great way to improve sales. We also discussed possible attention-grabbers to help attract more customers. Everyone is energized from this last board meeting and hope that all of our supporters are also excited for the latest pop-up store this August!

Pop-Up Store

The hard-working board at Youth Against Poverty has decided to reschedule the pop-up charity store to this coming AUGUST. We believe that this will be a greater opportunity since we can have an event during the "Back to School" shopping period. We will have the same beneficiaries and the drive to collect art supplies for the DoSomething.org/Art Feeds collaborative project. We are excited for another event to support Haitian orphans and San Franciscan families, trying to tackle both local and global poverty issues! We will announce dates and location ASAP. Thank you all for your continued support!

NEW Joint Fundraiser

Youth Against Poverty is excited to announce that we will be holding another one of our signature "pop-up" charity stores! Once again, all of our products will be donated from our generous corporate partners and a volunteer staff will operate the store.

One unique twist on this event is that it will be a joint fundraiser. Our proceeds will go to benefit both our local and global community. Our local partner is Compass Family Services, an organization based in San Francisco that helps provide services such as counseling, childcare and matching permanent housing to economically disadvantaged families (http://compass-sf.org/). Our other partner is Global Family Philanthropy, an Arizona-based nonprofit working to improve the living situation and health of orphans in Haiti (http://globalfamilyphilanthropy.org/). We will be supporting their efforts to build and run a successful clinic in North East Haiti.

We will also be holding an art supplies collection drive through DoSomething.org's Healing Oklahoma initiative. This drive will be providing unused supplies for on-the-ground organizations in Moore, Oklahoma. The children affected by the tornado will receive free access to theraputic and educational artistic programs to help recover from the trauma that they have faced (http://www.dosomething.org/ok).

We are excited for this new project, and encourage you to return to this website as well as visit our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-Against-Poverty/120734315517?fref=ts) and Twitter (@Youth AgainstPov) often. We will announce the dates and location of the next "pop-up" charity store ASAP.

JUNE 9-24: "Pop-Up" Charity for Haiti

Anyone in need of a great pair of shoes?  How about an *awesome* pair of shoes for charity? 

Youth Against Poverty is opening a “Pop-Up” store – a short-term clearance sale – starting THIS SATURDAY in Los Altos.  We’re selling hundreds of new, top-quality shoes to fund a children’s medical clinic in Les Cayes, Haiti. 

Although one of our closest neighbors, Haiti has one of the worst health care systems in the world and millions of the country’s citizens are suffering from cholera, malaria and Dengue Fever.  The children’s clinic in Les Cayes will serve a community of over a million people and will contribute significantly to the prevention and treatment of illnesses for the youth of the region.

Do you think you can help?  If so, please join me.  Our last Pop-Up raised over $25,000, and with the support of the Silicon Valley community, we’re hoping to raise even more towards our goal of $70,000.

If you can’t make it, please spread the word.  It is rare to find great deals on great shoes, and even more rare to be able to shop for charity. 

We hope to see you there!

YAP Supports Global Family Philanthropy

Global Family Philanthropy is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a stable home for the abandoned and orphaned children in Haiti. My memorable trip to Haiti was through this organization, and I can assure you that it will be life-changing once you go there. If you are thinking or want to get involved to make a difference to these orphans in Haiti, click here. I never realized until I went there how impoverished that country is. Everyday, there are mothers in Haiti who want to give up their child or children because they cannot afford to take care of them. Some of the orphans in the orphanage were found walking in the streets naked, orphaned at birth, or given up by their mothers and still remember but don't know why she gave them up.

It's not too late to make a difference.

Pictures from Haiti

Hey All,

I just posted pictures of our trip in Haiti in our Photo Blog, which is on the left side bar.

Back from Haiti - Reflecting on the Experience

Overall, I had a great time at Haiti and it is one of those trips that I will remember forever. Our trip was through an organization called Global Family Philanthropy, and the orphanage we were at was in Les Cayes which is a four hour drive from Port-au-Prince. Our job was to build a chicken coop and we had a great deal of time to play with the kids. Since our group was small, we really had the opportunity to bond with the kids. The kids were always happy to see us and always wanted us to play with them and give them our love and care. They always wanted me to pick them up and hold them, because they loved that feeling to be held and known that someone actually cares for them. Some of the older kids knew that we were not going to be there for long, so by about 3 days prior to leaving, they were sad, because they knew we were leaving soon but didn't know exactly when we were leaving. The last day was the most emotional day of the trip, because that was when almost everyone knew we were leaving. Some starting crying and some were too upset to do anything. They were sad because they knew that they can't receive the love and care that we gave them during the 10 days. It's as if telling them that the love and care that we are giving them is temporary. It's sad because I realized that kids always need unconditional and undivided love and being there for such a short time was telling them that they can't have the unconditional love that a parent can give them. However, my heart is still with them and they were great kids and were always smiling and laughing, which made me smile and laugh as well.

Haiti is a country with great people and the countryside is beautiful, especially the beaches. The only problem is their management. For example, there is an abundance of banana trees, almond trees, and avocado trees, but the people are still starving. There are no garbage cans there so you see piles and piles of trash in the middle of the streets. When you drive from Les Cayes to the capital, it's all the same thing. It's just poor villages after another and garbage and filth everywhere. They have an abundance of resources, but they just have poor management. The reason I am so shocked here in US is because it is so clean compared to Haiti. I dont have to use my hand sanitizer every 5 minutes and can actually walk barefoot in my own room, whereas we couldnt in our hotel room. I am still recuperating because of the culture shock.

My Trip to Haiti - A Great Visit

Hey all,

Just to let all you know, I am having a great time in Haiti. Our volunteer group is great and I love the kids in the orphanage. They are always smiling and full of love. I don't have much Internet access at the moment, but if I do, I will post updates on my Facebook page which you can click here. So far, I have posted pictures of the kids and workers having a pair of shoes for the first time.

Getting Ready for the Trip to the Haiti

As you all know, I am leaving to Haiti next week from June 8 - 20. I have to prepare for a few health precautions/vaccinations such as Hepatitis A, B, Thypoid, and malaria pills. I just took my first dosage of malaria pills today and will continue to take it weekly for four weeks. I also have to be concerned about cholera and Dengue fever.

By the way, hurricane season in Hait officially starts today and will continue for the next few months. Even though there are many adversities that I have to face, I am still pretty excited to go and cannot wait. Please follow me on my Facebook and Twitter as I will post images of my trip and of all the kids that I will care for. Below is a picture of the orphanage that I will be working at.