YMCA: Y Then, Y Now?

Y For Youth — 13-year old Giovanni Garcia presented the benefits of Y Healthy Living, based on his experience at Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA

13-year old Giovanni Garcia presented the benefits of Y Healthy Living, based on his experience at Shih Yu-Lang Central YMCA

Eli Pamilton with San Francisco Chief of Police Greg Suhr at YMCA’s Y for Youth benefit luncheon

Y Project participants Troy Reinhard, Zaldy Tubig, Jessielina Tapafua and Prince Jacob performed spoken word and hip hop, including an original song, “Then and Now” at the Y for Youth Luncheon in 2014

A dynamic lineup of young artists emceed and performed at Y Then, Y Now, YMCA‘s second Y for Youth Luncheon, at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on March 8, 2013. Some 400 supporters and community leaders gathered to salute and celebrate YMCA’s 160 years of service to communities throughout the Bay Area, and its programs that serve more than 10,000 youths every day. Ramon Gomez, a junior at Gateway High School, Youth Commissioner on the San Francisco Youth Justice Committee, Youth and Government delegate and longtime beneficiary of YMCA of San Francisco served as the emcee.

The event highlighted the Mural, Music & Arts Project. Trough a unique collaboration with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, YMCA of San Francisco and Mural, Music & Arts Project, students contributed original artwork and wrote poetry about issues that matter to them as they navigate difficult circumstances in their neighborhoods and lives.

Scenes from the Y for Youth Luncheon:

Y for Youth event co-chairs Stacey Murphy and Tama Jo Axton with YMCA president & CEO, Chuck Collins, and executive director and co-founder, Mural, Music & Arts Project, Sonya Clark-Herrera