Red String's Jeff Adachi Legacy Project (JALP) was created to honor Jeff who passed away in 2019 at the young age of 59.  Through the JALP program, our hope is that for those of us who loved Jeff and those who may not have had the chance to meet him, can see and feel his spirit in the work that we are doing in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Through the JALP, we are working to carry forward Jeff's ideals of creating a fairer, more just society that works not just for the few, but for all. We do this by partnering with local San Francisco Bay Area charities and making an investment in under-served people and communities to enable them to create solutions and changes that work best for them and their own community. Jeff called this approach, "community empowerment" - motivating involvement by giving the people who are most affected by the change they are seeking the power to make it happen.

 

Each of our JALP partner charity members are working on issues Jeff cared most about from stopping the school-to-prison pipeline to youth homelessness, from violence prevention to crisis response services, and from after-school programs to helping kids find their passions, and in the process, saving lives, uplifting livelihoods, and building healthier, safer, and more vibrant communities.

 

To learn more about our JALP, please check out our video, and after seeing our work, I hope you will come to share in our collective passion, purpose, and charity. 

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Legacy Project Current Grant Recipients:

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• Youth Development and Education

  • City Surf (since 2022)

  • East Bay Asian Youth Center (since 2021)

  • JCYC (since 2022)

  • Larkin Street Youth Services (since 2022)

  • Sunset Youth Services (since 2022)

  • United Playaz (since 2020)

• Community Relations and Advocacy

  • B-Magic (Bayview and Hunters Point) ( since 2020)

  • Mo-Magic (Fillmore and Western Addition) (since 2021)

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Bayview Hunters Point Mobilization for Adolescent Growth in our Communities (BMAGIC) is a network San Francisco neighborhood-based nonprofit organizations whose mission is to facilitate, coordinate and develop community resources and opportunities that support service providers and community members in Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP).    BMAGIC was co-founded in 2004 by the Public Defender’s Office led by Jeff Adachi and BVHP community based organizations to create collaborative community building efforts that improve the quality of life of BVHP children, youth and their families.

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Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  BMagic's first Flagship Event program established in 2004 is an annual backpack drive providing at-risk children and youth, ages 5-18, within the Bayview Hunters Point community, new backpacks filled with essential school supplies to celebrate the beginning of the new school year.  The high cost of school supplies poses a challenge to many parents and the lack of adequate supplies impacts students' learning far beyond the first day of school.  It is estimated that at least one in five children from low income families in the US start the school year without adequate supplies.  Red String continued our commitment to B'Magic by funding over 70 backpacks with school supplies for their annual Backpack Giveaway event in August.

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica (SMBGC) has been serving the Los Angeles communities since 1944 and has had a significant impact (4000+ kids) and reach across Los Angeles County.  The organization provides programs and services to disadvantaged youth providing opportunities and skills to achieve self-sufficiency.  Programs such as their Healthy Lifestyles program teaching financial literacy among other subjects;  Community Service program,  building a service leadership mindset;  21st Century Learning and Pathways pillar, providing homework help, STEM education and coaching to help students chart a course to higher education and career pathways that align with their passions and talents. Through the years SMBGC has continued to innovate and grow their programs and service offerings to keep kids engaged and develop skills and competencies needed for 21st Century career paths.

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​Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  Funds the ​purchase of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathmatics (STEAM) curriculum and kits that provide hands-on enrichment activities in robotics, tinkering, computer science, chemistry, engineering, math, electronics, makerspaces, the arts, etc. The kits and curriculum implementation will be facilitated by the program staff.

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City Surf was started because of a teacher’s genuine interest in sharing a lifetime passion with his students.  Built into this passion of surfing was a unique way of connecting with kids outside the traditional classroom, providing an opportunity to kids who rarely had this opportunity and teaching analogous life lessons of resilience, teamwork, addressing fears and challenges.   City Surf also provides a caring community, job skills and leadership training.  As an organization, City Surf is continuously growing its financials, partners, reach and impact.  During COVID, City Surf showed resilience and adaptability in order to continue their programs.

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Red String 2023 Grant and Project:  Jeff always advocated that the way to break the cycle of incarceration was to give at-risk youth hope and a future by providing them with programs, resources, and opportunities to help them discover, learn, and realize their full potential.  Although we see City Surf’s program as a unique way of connecting youth outside the traditional classroom, we realize that youth engendered development begins with the personal pursuit of a self-identified passion or spark.    Red String grant sponsors 12 youths to attend CSP’s 2023 summer program

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Since 1976, East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC)  provides support services to over 700

multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-lingual families through their after-school learning centers, located at local elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as their own Youth Center.  EBAYC also provides support to over 100 families who participate in their after-school learning center at Berkeley High School.  EBAYC after-school learning centers provide its youth members an integrated array of learning activities, including academic instruction, college & career awareness, health education, sports, outdoor adventures, performing, visual, and media arts, and community service projects.

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Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  For the first time since the start of the COVID health pandemic, EBAYC is bringing back its four week summer bridge program, Camp Thrive.  Starting in July, the program brings together 200 middle school youth to four East Bay regional parks to participate in outdoor adventure activities while gaining important life skills.  This year's theme, “The Power of Me,” is designed to challenge and engage students in a fun, collaborative environment as they build connections with themselves, their culture and their community. 

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Red String funded scholarships for up to 15 selected Camp Thrive participants to recognize and award their achievements and contributions during their Camp Thrive experience.

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Through partnerships with industry and educators, EXP prepares high school students for careers through career exploration activities, industry mentoring, paid summer internships, and college scholarships.  EXP brings industry and schools together to solve problems and overcome obstacles so that students from under-served communities receive access to education, experience and opportunities.

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By helping schools and industry work together, EXP is changing how society prepares students for life and bringing genuine opportunity to every young person they reach.   During the 2019-2020 school year, EXP programs are serving more than 6,400 high school students in 10 Southern California high schools.

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Red String 2022 Grant Project:   An internship can change a life. Red String is providing funding for two EXP Internship Program participants.  The program is a four week (June-July) summer bridge program for 11th-grade EXP students enrolled in high schools throughout Southern California. This program brings together employers, educators and parents to prepare high school students for tomorrow's workplace.  By participating in the Internship Program, students gain experience, unlock doors and build the confidence they need to succeed in school, career and life. 

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Red String sponsored internships for two summer interns as well as volunteered at EXP's mock interview sessions to prepare EXP students for their summer internship interviews.
 

Food Shift was founded in 2012 as a project of Earth Island Institute.  Food Shift focuses on rescuing surplus food that would otherwise waste away in landfills and utilize it to fuel their social enterprise kitchen. They address food insecurity and joblessness in their community through a catering program and job training program, which is designed for those facing high barriers to employment including homelessness, unemployment, disability, domestic violence, addiction and incarceration.  Food Shift creates delicious meals for their catering and food donation programs, simultaneously imparting culinary skills and job-training to their kitchen apprentices while preparing and distributing nutritious meals to food insecure communities.  Apprentices earn a livable wage while learning how to work in a professional kitchen, allowing for room to grow before stepping into the next role of their careers.  

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Food Shift is a UAIAI members recommended candidate charity. 

 

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Red String 2022 Grant Project:  This Red String grant funded Food Shift's Social Enterprise Kitchen program which includes both the Culinary Training program and their new PAWsitive Bones program. After two years of supporting Food Shift's COVID response to food insecurity to help low-income and indigent persons, we have shifted our focus from the transactional model of collecting and distributing food to a more sustainable and holistic model. 

 

Although we know that food security for many families continues to be an issue beyond the health pandemic, we like how Food Shift is implementing innovative solutions for better sustainability by up-cycling food waste into training and job opportunities, development and marketing of usable products, and income generation that will build capacity in the community and go beyond just the transactional model of giving food. 

The Japanese Community Youth Council (JCYC) is a non profit community organization dedicated to serving the children, youth and families living in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Established in 1970, JCYC has become one of San Francisco’s most successful youth organizations.  While still committed to children and youth from the Japanese American community, JCYC has evolved and grown into an organization, which annually serves over 8,000 young people from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds.

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Red String 2022 Grant Project: Grant helped fund JCYC's Japantown Youth Leadership Program (JYL).  The JYL is a 8-month structured program for high school students (grades 9-12) of various socioeconomic and diverse backgrounds that fosters leadership skills, personal growth, community service, and academic and career pathways.  We like the program's structured, multi-year approach and its emphasis on leadership, teamwork, and giving back through community service.

J-Sei provides family activities as well as assisted living for seniors including bilingual staff and culturally sensitive care to help promote independence, safety, and well being.  J-Sei provides a culturally sensitive small assisted living facility for elderly adults and a community center offering educational and wellness classes, cultural events, home delivered and congregate meals, a food pantry, case management, a caregiver registry, and transportation.  Over the years, J-Sei has expanded its services and programs to include families and younger generations.   For many home bound fixed income older adults, the combination of financial, health, and food insecurity makes them especially vulnerable when an unexpected life event occurs. 

 

J-Sei is a UAIAI members recommended candidate charity. 

 

 

Red String 2023 Grant and Project:  With the reopening of its doors, J-SEI is still experiencing lingering issues from over three years of health pandemic restrictions with many of it's elderly patrons still reluctant to venture out and return to in-person activities at their facilities.  Red String grant funded J-SEI to provide a stipend for a full-time summer intern to help build and test alternative transportation methods with J-SEI’s seniors who are not engaging in on-site in-person activities during this post-COVID phase.   In addition to the stipend, the funds will be used to encourage seniors to use the alternative transportation methods (i.e. subsidizing first few rideshares).

Since 2006, Jubilee REACH has worked within the Bellevue, WA community to build community and transform the lives of students and their families,  Partnering with the Bellevue School District Jubilee Reach has strived to create solutions that improve not only the individual child's life, but solutions that strengthen families and the community. In March 2020, Jubilee Reach initiated their Groceries for Families program in response to the emerging food security issues facing families in the Bellevue and surrounding communities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  At the peak of the pandemic, they coordination with 25 community organizations and hundreds of volunteers providing over 700 families with food, hygiene products, and supplies.   With the vaccine rollout, additional fiscal stimulus, and reopening of businesses, the Groceries for Families program has been able wind down as requests for assistance abated.  Currently, the program is supporting over 250 families.  The program is scheduled to run until at least the end of June.

 

 

Red String 2023 Grant and Project:   With reopening of schools, Jubilee has restarted their Jubilee Reach Center offering before and after school care to students.   Jubilee also continues its Groceries for Families and senior lunch programs as families and elderly still are struggling with higher inflation and  food security.  Red String funded over 600 delivered lunches to homebound seniors and the purchase of supplies for Jubilee's elementary and middle school Book, Game, Art, and Cooking clubs. 

Since 1993, KidWorks has grown into a vibrant community development non-profit that offers to low-income, at-risk youth in Central Santa Ana, one of Orange County’s most challenging neighborhoods, educational support, leadership and character-building programs, and health and fitness activities that begin with preschoolers and follow youth into their college years.  In total, KidWorks operates four centers that have become safe havens in gang-heavy, high-crime and overcrowded residential areas in central Santa Ana. KidWorks serves nearly 800 children, youth and parents weekly and reaches over 4,000 community members annually.

 

 

 

Red String 2022 Grant Project:  Remote learning has fundamentally changed how education is delivered.   The advent of on-line learning is expected to be offered even after the pandemic ends.   For under-served communities and schools, closing the digital divide by ensuring access to adequate devices and supplies is imperative.  Red String’s grant  funded printers for both students participating in the KidWorks College Success Initiative (CSI). and those graduating and planning to start college in the fall.  The printers are a vital resource for printing out assignments and creating projects throughout the course and beyond.

Founded 1984, Larkin Street Youth Services provides outreach, shelter, housing, health and wellness, social, employment, and educational services to at-risk, runaway, and homeless youth ages 12-24.  As the largest non-profit provider of services for young people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco, Larkin Street has reached over 75,000 young people with three out of four who complete programs at Larkin Street leaving street life behind them.

 

 

 

Red String 2022 Grant Project:  Red String is a sponsor for Larkin Street’s Performing Arts Night, a two night performance scheduled for July or August showcases the works of 20-25 youth from Larkin’s arts laboratories. The event is attended by over 300 people.

Mo’Magic (Mobilization for Adolescent Growth In Our Communities) is the sister organization to B’Magic but serves the Western Addition and Fillmore Districts of San Francisco.  Both organizations have their roots in the San Francisco Public Defenders Office and have a similar mission to facilitate, coordinate and develop community resources that support service providers, but unlike B’Magic, Mo’Magic also has a community center, the Ella Hill Hutch Community Center, that, in partnership with their parent organization, Collective Impact, provides a place for youths to learn, play, and gather, and  to support the community at large. 

 

Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  Since the Magic Programs inception, ensuring students start the school year with the essential supplies to be successful continues to be a key tenet.  This year, Red String expanded its commitment to the MAGIC programs by adding Mo'Magic as a partner and funding over 70 backpacks with school supplies for their annual Backpack Giveaway event in August.

Since 2002, NWEA has focused on re-engaging out-of-school young people ages 16-29, who have encountered significant barriers to completing their high school or college education, by,  

 

• Providing personal attention, mentorship, technical assistance, and moral support to low-income young people navigating post-secondary education.

• Connecting low-income young people with information and resources, and support them in creating an individualized plan to meet their higher education goals.

• Advocating for and with low-income young people, and empower them to develop their own voices as they pursue their higher education.

• Providing financial resources that help low-income young people access higher education and meet their basic needs while in school.

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Red String 2023 Grant Project:   We recognize that ensuring students have the right resources and supplies is critical for achieving success in their learning and academics.  For the third consecutive year, Red String provided funding for NWEA to purchase laptops and supplies to help ensure that their college bound students are equipped with the right tools and resources to succeed in their first year of college.

The Tomodachi Bento Lunch Program is a all-volunteer secular program run under the Orange County Buddhist Church that delivers hot, culturally sensitive meals to home bound elderly adults in Orange County and surrounding communities.  During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, TBLP experienced a 2x increase in participants, from 40 to about 85 home-bound seniors.   Currently, TLBP continues to deliver meals to about 70 home bound elderly persons.  For many of these elderly persons, TLBP not only provides their elderly participants a delicious meal but also a friendly visitor checking in and making sure they're okay.

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​​​​​​​Red String 2022 Grant and Project:   Since 2020, Red String has sponsored TBLP's Grandparent's Day, celebrated annually in September, that provides a  special meal delivered to TLBP's program participants to help celebrate the day.

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Rainier Scholars was founded in 2000 on the belief that all students deserve an equal opportunity to excel academically and become thriving community and workplace leaders.  They support students that are most underrepresented on college campuses, many of which come from low income households where the student will be the first in the family to achieve a college degree, changing the trajectory of families and future generations.  The life-changing journey starts in 5th grade and continues to college graduation, with the help of many partners to provide assistance & opportunities, academic counseling, career exploration, mentoring, internships, and comprehensive family support.  Rainier Scholars is focused on advancing equity in education with a proven model for student success.

 

A program analysis from MGS Consulting found that Rainier Scholars participants were 300% more likely to be taking college prep Honors courses than those not in the program,  99% are achieving admission to four-year colleges, and 90% are graduating or on track to graduate in four years. 
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​Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  ​Each year, 5th grade student participants are enrolled into a literature course as part of Rainier Scholars’ 14-month Academic Enrichment Program (AEP).  Throughout time,  literacy is the single most significant skill to lift people out of poverty,  promote innovation and change, and create an informed and free society.  Knowing how to read opens up our minds to a lifetime of continued learning.  The course introduces students to a wide array of literature that explores youth relevant topics on  self-identity, values, and leadership while improving reading and comprehension skills.  Red String’s grant will provide each student the collection of books for the course.

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Sharefest, founded in 2003, works with youth within the Los Angeles Unified School District’s continuation schools, whose students face significant barriers to college and career paths and are at greatest risk of dropout. Sharefest helps equip the students through academic achievement, personal development and community service. Its mission is to empower under-served young people to transform their futures and to become leaders of collaborative community change. To do this, the nonprofit is able to complete service projects and gather resources and volunteers through collaboration between local organizations, the faith community and businesses.

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​Red String 2023 Grant and Project:  ​We understand how important looking and dressing in the right business attire is for first time job applicants, both physically and emotionally, as well as making a good first impression with potential employers.   Students who come from low-income households, of which roughly 70 percent come from traditionally underserved communities,  often don’t have a set of  business attire to wear for an interview or their first day at work.  Red String helped sponsor Sharefest's dress for success event that provides graduating students entering into the workforce professional wardrobe.

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Established in 1967, Sound Generations is a comprehensive 501c3 non-profit organization that serves older adults and adults with disabilities in King County. Sound Generations supports almost 54,000 people annually and is Washington State’s largest provider of comprehensive services for aging adults and their loved ones located in King County.

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At Red String, we believe that our elderly loved ones are an invaluable asset to the community and deserve our utmost respect, care, and love, and that primary family caregivers are too often ill-prepared and unrecognized for the contributions they make, often at the expense of their own health, finances, and well-being.  We like the comprehensive service offerings that Sound Generations provides to both their elderly participants, primary family caregivers, and the broader Seattle community.   

 

Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  Funds the purchase of essentials and specialty items for caregiver gift bags and raffle prizes to be given out as part of Sound Generation’s first Caregiver Appreciation event in November 2022.   The Caregiver Appreciation event will invite and recognize the invaluable contributions of unpaid primary family caregivers who are on the front-line providing compassionate care to a loved one allowing them to age in place with dignity and choice.

Sunset Youth Services provides opportunities and resources to youth involved in the juvenile justice system to improve their lives.  SYS provide at-risk youth with justice services, one-on-one therapy, family support services, creative projects, and workforce development that help them to  build on their experiences, and knowledge and skills that better equip them to thrive in school, at work, in families, and in other social systems.

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​Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  ​In some cases, Sunset’s youths have outstanding non-criminal fines (e.g. traffic violations), that were unable to be converted to community service.  These holds create roadblocks to jobs, education and vocational training, and safe housing.  Saddling youth with debt is counterproductive and does little to reduce juvenile recidivism.  Red String funding will help pay off these fines to restore hope and offer Sunset youths a fresh start in life.

United Playaz is a violence prevention and youth development organization that has worked in San Francisco for 25 years.  UP is an organization working within San Francisco helping children and youth break the cycle of juvenile crime, violence, and poverty by providing a comprehensive range of services including In-School Violence Prevention, After-School Programs, Case Management, After-Care & Re/Entry services, Diversion, TAY Academic Enrichment & Workforce Development, Street Outreach, and Civic Engagement opportunities and Recreation to prepare vulnerable youth for higher education, employment, and healthy living within a safe, nurturing, and collaborative environment.

 

 

Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  For our third year, we are sponsoring 10 low-income families for United Playaz's Thanksgiving and Christmas events, as well as Christmas presents for the children.   The holiday season can be a difficult time for low income families each with their own story and issues they are struggling with.  Through our sponsorships, we wish to help make their holiday season brighter, joyful, and hope filled. 

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Wrap the Kids hires homeless persons and gives them a second chance at making a difference by making handmade quilts to donate to children everywhere, but especially those who are sick or in need.  The organization also gives back to the homeless community by providing free clothing, hygiene kits, food items, blankets and other much-needed support.

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Homelessness in Long Beach has increased by 62% since 2020, according to the results of the city-run 2022 Homeless Point in Time Count.  27 percent of the people experiencing homelessness report family and relationship issues as the reason, 40 percent reported serious mental illness, and 34% reported substance-use issues. LA County’s homeless population increased by just 4.1% compared to 2020.  Continued economic uncertainty will continue to put added pressures on families and individuals making the issue of homelessness even more dire.

 

Red String 2022 Grant and Project:  We were glad to hear that Susanna successfully completed her cancer treatment and decided to organize a Wrap the Kids North Pole Christmas Event, but since WtK had closed its operations back in June, funding the event was an issue.  Red String's board and staff wanted to help and decided to sponsor the WtK event.  The event will include hot take home meals, Christmas trees , and presents for the children. 

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