My Friend's Place eNewsletter 
April 2014

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT:
 TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM
& THE GARDEN WORKSHOP
 
Did you know that the Transformative Education Program at My Friend's Place offers employment assistance, life skills training and creative arts opportunities for homeless youth? We offer a range of creative arts and life skills enrichment workshops that encourage self-expression and development, equip youth with marketable skills, encourage positive behaviors, teach youth how to connect with resources and engage youth who are hesitant to participate in more traditional programming and treatment.  

 
"With springtime comes new life, growth, and our garden workshop. As we've been planting and maintaining our garden, young people are bringing with them experience, knowledge, and much excitement."
Freddie Bell, My Friend's Place Transformative Education Intern


One popular workshop offered through the Transformative Education Program is the Garden Workshop. Started in Spring 2013 with two garden plots located at Hollywood Adventist Church, the Garden Workshop offers a hands-on gardening experience where youth can participate in every aspect of a garden, from selecting plants to maintaining the garden beds and tilling the soil to, finally, harvesting the fruits of their labors. The Garden Workshop not only provides our young people with the therapeutic benefits of gardening, but also a unique opportunity to enjoy a peaceful and safe space where youth can reflect and record their thoughts through writing, journaling and other creative self-expression.

 

This Summer, our youth will be harvesting an exciting variety of plants - eggplant, bell peppers and hot peppers, tomatoes, chives, cilantro, oregano, basil, beans and strawberries - and we would like to invite volunteers to help the youth celebrate and enjoy the bounty of the garden! If you have a "green thumb" and would like to help with Garden Workshop, or you have a volunteer group or organization that would like to host a mid-summer event or bar-b-que for our youth in our Garden Workshop space, please contact Camilla Brannstrom at [email protected] or call at 323-908-0011 x 107.

 

                                     

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH:

 

RUSTY WIGGS

 

 

 

Rusty has been volunteering at My Friend's Place by helping our staff with the daily operations in our Safe Haven. He's been tremendously helpful and we are honored to name him our Volunteer of the Month for April!

 

How Rusty became involved with My Friend's Place:

 

"I was sitting next to a mother of a Board member at a restaurant and she convinced me that I had a lot to offer My Friend's Place... I was excited to see what I could offer."  

 

On what he has learned from the young people of My Friend's Place:

 

"Listening to their stories and hearing what they have to say is the best way for me help reach out to the youth. In this new tech-savvy world, everyone wants to be heard.   But, the old way of talking to someone who listens to you still makes the biggest difference."  

 

"I am reminded of the strength it takes to build our lives, the importance of being valued and the connection with others that creates a community."

 

Thank you, Rusty, for helping My Friend's Place to create a community

and safe space where our youth can know "the importance of being valued"

and can receive the support and assistance that can help our young people

to move toward self sufficiency!

 

 

 

 

PLEASE JOIN OUR IN-KIND NEEDS EMAIL LIST! 

 
 

 

 

Interested in staying up to date with our current in-kind needs? Please join our email list dedicated to helping My Friend's Place meet the special needs of our youth. 
To join, send an email to 
with the subject line
"Join In-Kind Email List" 
  
 

 

To contribute, please contact 
Taylor Wilkerson at 
(323) 908-0011x116 or [email protected]

 

All donations are tax deductible
and greatly appreciated!
 
 
 
 

  

 

 
This Month
The Garden Workshop
Volunteer of the Month
Special Needs Email List
Mission
My Friend's Place assists and inspires homeless youth to build self-sufficient lives.

Please consider supporting MFP's mission 
 
Contribute through our

Learn more at

 

 


 

 


 

 

 

 

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My Friend's Place is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.  To make a gift with your credit card, visit our secure online donation page.  Please send checks to:

My Friend's Place / Attn: Membership Program / PO Box 3867 / Hollywood, CA 90078