Open Houses at Freedom Hall Planned for 2010.

Open Houses during 2010 at Freedom Hall are scheduled for Thursday April 22nd, August 19th, and November 11th. STS expects that individuals from the community will come and learn about what is going on at Freedom Hall. They were able to meet our fatherless young men involved in the mentorship program at Freedom Hall, along with their single moms. The food will be awesome as well as the live music and festive environment. Guests will be able to meet STS staff, volunteers, the Board of Directors, members of our Advisory Board, leaders in the Twin Rivers Unified School District and hear about how Freedom Hall has impacted fatherless young men and their moms.
 

Freedom Hall Completes Its Third Year

Freedom Hall, an after-school mentoring program, in its third year of mentoring urban fatherless young men in North Sacramento, operates three days a week working in a team-based environment to develop character growth, improve academic performance, and enhance life skills through long term mentoring from 6th grade through high school graduation. STS exposes urban fatherless young men to area businesses and points of interest they have never had the chance to experience. Academic challenges are held three times during the school year, and the winning teams of young men get to go on fun trips such as: fishing in Lake Tahoe, hiking in the Sierras, camping (where they have experienced snow for the first time!), visit a marine college campus and toured their ocean ship. After enrolling their sons in Freedom Hall, moms have reported positive character changes in their sons’ behavior at home and academic improvement at school at school.

The Summer Group Goes LevelUp

Staff and volunteers provided 30 at-risk fatherless young men a learning environment that is real, relevant, and fun with Level Up, our summer program at Freedom Hall. An intense 50 hours per week, Level Up continued math and reading support, incorporated art and team building activities, and culminated with a week at Camp Del Oro in Nevada City. Debra Greene from News-talk 1530 KFBK interviewed our fatherless young men at Level Up, as well as Shoulder to Shoulder staff, and volunteers.

"Debra Greene from News-talk 1530 KFBK interviewed our fatherless young men at Level Up, as well as Shoulder to Shoulder staff, and volunteers."

Listen: Interview 1 | Interview 2

Going the Distance Together

A walk for the fatherless young men, Going The Distance Together, was held on the campus of MLK on September 18 and 19 to increase awareness, volunteers, and support to help more fatherless young men prepare for life.

Annual Beautification Project

STS’s annual beautification project, Because God Cares, was held on October 17, 2009.  Over three hundred volunteers beautified MLK and three elementary schools (North Avenue, Fairbanks, and Noralto), their respective neighborhoods, and a few homes of Freedom Hall young men.

Second Annual Cardboard Boat Regatta

Each summer Level Up culminates in a competition for its young participants called the Annual Del Paso Heights Cardboard Boat Regatta, in which teams of boys construct boats out of duct tape and cardboard to design the most floatable boat. The boats are designed to hold two boys from a team and they complete laps in the Olympic size pool until they can no longer float. After last year's competition, the boys were all vying for 1st place and the honor of holding the bragging rights for having the best boatmaking ability for the year. Our boys completed an astounding 71 laps of the width of the pool, and we are looking into whether or not we may have hit a record. The competition turned out to be an exciting one as both the Press and Public attended to cheer on our boys. Good Day Sacramento came out to cover the event. Besides awarding the winning team of the amazing Regatta itself, Shoulder to Shoulder honored our young Level Up participants with awards and recognition for individual and team accomplishments, in the presence of family, friends, STS staff, volunteers, donors, and partners. Channel 13 showed up and recorded the event and it aired on the evening news at 5:00 and 10:00 Sat PM.